LYNCHBURG, Va. --- The Lynchburg College athletic department announced the hiring of Josef Manilla as the new Director of Tennis. Manilla will oversee all aspects of the men's and women's programs for the Hornets.

Manilla, a 2014 graduate of Christopher Newport University, was a four-year starter for the Captains, earning a spot on the First Team All-Conference Tournament Team in 2013 as well as the Sportsmanship Award that year. The team finished second in the USA South in each of his first three seasons.

"Joey has a tremendous passion for tennis and understands what it takes to be successful," athletic director Jon Waters said. "His background as a successful collegiate player coupled with his experiences growing up in a tennis family make him the perfect person to lead the Lynchburg tennis programs as we work to be successful in the ODAC and eventually in the region."

Manilla brings a vast array of coaching experience into his new role at Lynchburg. He has coached at the Nike Tennis Camp and Wilson Collegiate Tennis Camp hosted by the University of Virginia, working directly with the University of Virginia men's and women's coaching staffs.

He also grew up in a tennis family as his father, Ron Manilla, is a PTR International Master Professional and a Pro Tour Tournament Director. Josef's brother, Dominic, assumed the head coaching position of the Old Dominion University women's team and has served as a great resource.

"At CNU I was very fortunate to play for Eric Christensen, an outstanding coach and person," Manilla said. "He created a strong team atmosphere that allowed us to perform at the highest level in the classroom and on the tennis court. This is a culture that I will aggressively seek to recreate at Lynchburg College. I have also had the opportunity to work intensely with the UVA Men's tennis coaching staff where I learned the skills necessary to develop high performance tennis players."

He is a proven teacher serving as a tennis instructor since July 2009, starting with his time at Charlottesville Parks and Recreation/Pepsi Mobile Tennis and then at ACAC Fitness and Wellness Center.

"Lynchburg College offers a rare set of characteristics that can make recruiting top players from around the world very realistic," Manilla said. "With hard work, I am determined to develop a successful program that will make an impact on the conference, regional, and national level."

--- This release is courtesy of the Lynchburg College sports information department. ---
athletics.lynchburg.edu