SWEET BRIAR, Va. --- Sweet Briar College Interim Athletics Director Donna Hodgert has announced the hiring of Dustin Hale as the school's new head tennis coach.

"We are excited to welcome Dustin to Sweet Briar College," said Hodgert. "His experiences at the national level, both as a player and a coach, are what drew me to Dustin initially. After a dynamic practice session with the department, it was evident that Dustin has the skills and energy to take the team to the next level. In addition, he has a very good track record with recruiting and is excited to represent a school which values the student-athlete experience on and off the court."

Hale comes to Sweet Briar from his alma mater, North Carolina Wesleyan College, where he coached both the men's and women's programs for two seasons. In 2016 and 2017, he led the Battling Bishops men's team to back-to-back USA South regular season and tournament titles. In those two seasons, the Battling Bishops went 36-13, posted a flawless 20-0 record in conference play, and qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

No stranger to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, Hale served as the head men's tennis coach at Emory & Henry College from 2011-2013. During his two seasons with the Wasps, Hale had a combined 29-11 record and 14-5 mark in the ODAC. He also coached 10 players to all conference honors.

Hale has also served as the Director of Junior Tennis for the city of Rocky Mount, N.C. and as an assistant pro at Epping Forest Yacht & Country Club in Jacksonville, Fla.

Hale officially began work at Sweet Briar on August 14 and will begin fall workouts with the Vixen tennis team once classes start.

--- This release is courtesy of the Sweet Briar College sports information department. ---
www.vixenathletics.com