EMORY, Va. --- The Emory & Henry College Department of Athletics has removed the "interim tag" and named Steve Brooks its Head Men's & Women's Tennis Coach, Director of Athletics Myra Sims announced Thursday.

After a national search, Sims believed that the programs already had the best candidate for the permanent coaching position in place.

"When we found ourselves in a bind for a tennis coach right before the season started, I was very relieved to find Steve Brooks to help us on an interim basis," said Sims. "He has extensive successful college coaching experience and is extremely well connected in the tennis community. After having Steve work with our men's and women's programs over these last few weeks and comparing him to other candidates who expressed interest in the permanent position, we feel confident that he is the right person to lead the men's and women's tennis programs forward."

Brooks was selected to lead the Wasps' tennis programs on an interim basis in February following the resignation of Jessica Giuggioli. He has owned and operated the Tri-Cities Tennis Academy for the past seven years and has been hugely successful in putting competitive junior players on the court.

"I have no doubt that Steve will continue to recruit well-qualified student-athletes, and create an environment in which they can maximize their potential as tennis players and have a good time doing it," Sims continued. "Steve is a good colleague within the department and will be a good mentor to our young men and women."

From 2001 to 2010, Brooks was the Head Women's Tennis Coach at East Tennessee State University. He inherited a program which had four coaches in the past four years and guided the Bucs to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. In each of the final five years of his time in Johnson City, Brooks' teams played in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Finals. His teams also boasted high academics with 60 academic all-conference selections, 27 ITA Scholar-Athlete selections, six ITA All-Academic teams, a Fulbright Scholar and a NCAA Sportsmanship Award winner.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the men's and women's tennis teams," commented Brooks. "Myra has created a positive and fun environment within the athletic department, and I want to do the same within the tennis program."

Emory & Henry will host a pair of Old Dominion Athletic Conference matches this weekend. The Wasps will face off against Virginia Wesleyan College on Saturday while the Yellow Jackets of Randolph-Macon College will make the trip to Emory on Sunday.

--- This release is courtesy of the Emory & Henry College sports information department. ---
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