ASHLAND, Va. --- Former Yellow Jacket captain and assistant coach Sam Varner has returned to campus as R-MC head women's tennis coach.

"I would like to thank President Lindgren and Director of Athletics Jeff Burns for letting me lead the Randolph-Macon women's tennis program," Varner said. "I look forward to returning to Ashland and building a women's program that represents the college well on and off the court."

During the 2019-20 academic year, Varner served as head men's and women's tennis coach at Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., before the program was eliminated due to COVID 19.

From 2016-19, Varner was head men's and women's tennis coach at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa. He mentored multiple all-conference performers including two conference players of the year and a conference rookie of the year. The men were 29-14, reached the playoffs each season and were a finalist in 2017. Juniata was an ITA All-Academic Team each year, with the women claiming the GPA team award in 2019.

Varner assisted Charles Gray with the men's and women's tennis teams at R-MC from 2014-16. Varner helped the women go 31-5 overall and 19-3 in ODAC play. The men were 20-12 overall and 11-9 in conference matches.

During the 2013-14 season, Varner was head men's and women's tennis coach at Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Va. He was a volunteer assistant at R-MC from 2009-11 and assistant at Bridgewater from 2012-13.

Varner worked multiple years as a tennis instructor and event coordinator in Richmond as well as Charlottesville.

In 2009, Varner earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Randolph-Macon. The two-rime captain had the most individual wins for the Yellow Jackets from 2006-09 and was ODAC Player of the Week in March of 2008.