Episode Transcript
[00:00:14] Speaker A: Hello. Welcome to the Roundhouse Podcast with Paul Sullendrop of Wichita State University Strategic Communications. As always, we appreciate your time listening to the podcast. Our guest today is Jacob Eddins. Jacob was hired as Wichita State's women's tennis coach in September. He comes to Wichita State after two seasons as associate head coach at Illinois.
He also coached at West Virginia, Auburn and Western Carolina. When hired, Jacob jumped right into the fall schedule coaching the Shockers in the ITA All American Championships in Cary, North Carolina. Xin Tong Wang and Giorgio Roselli reached the main draw in doubles and Zin Tong became the first Shocker to record a main draw win in singles. She defeated number 19, Catherine Alia of Tennessee to reach the round of 32. So the Shockers are off to a good start in the fall. Jacob, welcome to Wichita State. Tell us about your.
Your journey here and your decision. Why come to Wichita State?
[00:01:07] Speaker B: Yeah. Thank you, Paul. Appreciate you having me on today. Excited to talk to you a little bit about Wichita State and our program. So I think the biggest thing was the, the resources that the program has, the ability to compete for championships and build that on the past history of the program and all the success they've had over the last 20, 25 years, 19 conference championships, 12 NCAA appearances, and we hope to add on to that really soon. So I think tennis community is really, really supportive here.
A lot of support from the community with donors and people attending matches. And so I think that's just a really attractive thing for a new coach coming in to have that support for the girls on the team as you continue to build a special team here and one that can compete for championships. So I think it just checks all the boxes. I wanted to be a head coach since I started doing this about 15 years ago and everything just aligned really well with this position and Wichita State and the administration.
So just very, very fortunate and blessed to be here and be the next head coach here at Wichita State.
[00:02:17] Speaker A: And because of your family connections, you would have had familiarity with Wichita State and the tennis community here. This is probably a good time. Take us through the family connections and how that may have led to your decision.
[00:02:27] Speaker B: Yeah, my sister in law, J. Joelle Kissel, was the assistant coach with Colin.
Would have been two and three years ago now, 23 and 24 season.
So definitely had some familiarity with the program and the girls on the team in Wichita. I did not get a chance to come over and visit while she was here, but my wife had come over with our four kids and got to see the tennis facility And a little bit of campus in Wichita in the area. And they always spoke so highly of it. So I knew it was a great place with great people and felt like I knew, knew a little bit of the team and the roster makeup and things like that, but had followed them pretty closely since she had been here those couple years. And so, yeah, definitely helped kind of transition in.
And also my brother in law was here on the men's side as the second assistant two years ago, was here for one season before he joined Joelle when she took a head coaching job at Western Michigan. He joined her as the assistant coach there. And we've got Chad back. So Chad's back now as my assistant and we're glad to have Chad back here at Wichita State with the women's team. So that's kind of the family connection. And I think that really, really helped with the transition and having a little bit of familiarity with the program and so, yeah, that's it.
[00:04:00] Speaker A: And so as you were working through your career and wanting to become a head coach, did you have a checklist of things you were looking for in a head coaching opportunity? How does an assistant coach approach that whole process?
[00:04:14] Speaker B: Good question.
I think something that's important is that I wanted to be at a place where I felt like I could win championships and have the resources to do so.
And seeing the previous success that this program had had, I knew that was very possible here.
And so you look at things like the facility and campus and what your recruiting strategy might look like and who you're able to attract to a potential program if you were chosen as the next head coach. And so I think there's kind of a big picture, but the competitive component is a huge factor in that. And I really felt like this was a place where it was set up to win, so that's a big one. But the people, the administration, I think that's extremely important. Not always where you're working, but who you work for.
And just through the interview process with Brad Pittman and Kevin, I just felt really good about what that relationship would look like day to day with the administration and the support that I would have and the resources that we would have to compete at the highest level here, not only in the American Conference, but on the national stage and continue to be an NCAA tournament team and continue to grow and build. So a lot goes into it, but I think this checks all the boxes with everything that I feel like is important to have to have success here. So.
[00:05:40] Speaker A: And you mentioned replacing Colin Foster, who had a lot of success as a women's coach here and he replaced Chris Young, who's now at Oklahoma State. Chris also had a lot of success here at Wichita State, so there's been a lengthy tradition of success. Wichita State women's tennis. Jacob, take us back to the beginning. How did you decide on coaching tennis as your career?
[00:05:59] Speaker B: Yeah, so I am originally from Huntington, West Virginia.
I committed to play at West Virginia University into my junior year of high school.
And halfway through my senior year of high school, the university decided to cut men's tennis there, which left me kind of searching for a new home to play.
My older brother was playing at Radford University.
That was another program that I was looking at, but decided to stay at Marshall University my freshman year.
And the head coach and his wife, current head coach John Mercer and his wife Lori, asked me if I wanted to be a volunteer assistant while I was in undergrad and helped coach the women's team at Marshall. And so I said, yeah, I'd love to, love to stay in tennis and see kind of what the coaching side is all about. And was teaching some private lessons and helping them run a junior program and country club in the summers. And so that kind of led me into into coaching and did that for a few years and was an interim assistant later at Marshall and just really loved being able to be on court with the girls and coaching them through matches and helping them in practice to develop. And it's a small, close knit team, so you feel like you can really help and make an impact and make a difference in their lives not only as tennis players, but as people and just a different lens to look through within the sport. And tennis has been a big part of my life the whole time. And so I felt like coaching would be something that I would love and just kind of fell in love with it and have stayed with it since. So yeah, was a volunteer probably four seasons, three at Marshall and one at Cornell University before moving on to University of Pittsburgh and then on with my wife at Western Carolina University. So it's been a journey, but it's every step you learn something new and carry that with you to this point.
[00:08:04] Speaker A: Now, describe your coaching philosophy.
[00:08:08] Speaker B: Good question.
I think my coaching philosophy is really built around three things, culture, commitment and consistency. I think culture is extremely important.
I've got four young kids and I think they're going to be around the program a lot and I want the culture to be a family atmosphere and culture.
When we're on the tennis court, we're going to work hard, but we're going to find joy in what we're doing. And I've told the girls if they don't enjoy what they're doing, then we got to find what that is. But I want the girls to work hard and when they're on the court, really focus on their training, but also enjoy being part of a team and being part of something bigger than themselves. And I hope having the family around, they feel like they're also connected to more than just Wichita State and the program. They're connected to our family and feel like this is home for them while they're here.
And so the culture is huge. A commitment to everything that we do. I feel like it's important when you're either in the classroom or on the tennis court or working out. You give 100% effort in everything that you do. You're just committed every day to whatever is in front of you and the task at hand. So just always having that commitment, I think is really, really important. And then being consistent.
Consistency, I think, is what builds a lot of character and can lead to success.
Whether that's how you prepare or how you're training or whether you're in the weight room or on the court, just being really consistent with what you do day to day really makes a big impact.
And after practice or workouts, how do you take care of yourself, take care of your body with rehab and prehab and how are you recovering day to day?
If those three things are in place, I feel like you can build a really, really solid foundation within your program and encompasses a lot what we do. But those three things are really, really important to me.
[00:10:06] Speaker A: So if you see an athlete who's not having joy in their tennis life, how do you go about helping them?
[00:10:12] Speaker B: Yeah, have some conversations.
I think it's hard sometimes to take a step back and look at it from a 30,000 foot view.
Just kind of.
Why did they get into tennis? At some point they, they found joy in, in the sport. And whether that was getting. Getting into it with friends or family or siblings that maybe played that they kind of followed footsteps at some point. They found joy in, in the sport and they've all loved it and hopefully still do. But yeah, I think you try to find that within having some conversations with them about, hey, like take me back to a time that you really feel like you were enjoying this and try to focus on the positive things that they love about tennis and try to get that back out.
It's just a really unique sport. To be such an individual sport and come together as A team. There can be some tough times and tough moments, but everyone's had that passion and joy for the sport at some point, and so it's just finding what that is and trying to bring that back.
[00:11:16] Speaker A: Coaching mentors whose voices are in the back of your head as you're instructing or getting ready to have a team meeting, who do you really lean on for those kind of things?
[00:11:26] Speaker B: Oh, great question.
There's been a lot of people, I think, that have tried to help me along the way in this journey. And John Mercer gave me my first opportunity to get into coaching, and I learned a ton from he and his wife at Marshall and someone I still talk to today.
He's been a great mentor, just not only as a tennis coach, but as a father of four kids. And I kind of feel like my wife and I joke we're following their footsteps a little bit through our journey.
But he's. Yeah, he's been just really, really good to me over the years and got to work with he and his wife for a little more than seven years before we left Huntington. So he's someone who I really still keep in touch with and lean on a lot. And my previous head coach I worked with at Illinois, Evan Clark, is a good friend of mine and someone that I learned a ton through the last couple years working alongside him. And he's been a great friend and also is a similar situation. Four kids that are very similar in age to mind and not only been a good friend, but just someone I always know I can call and talk to about anything that I feel like I need to kind of have a sounding board from another coach who's in my situation. And he's been through a lot and has just done an unbelievable job and had a lot of success where he's been, and so definitely lean on him a lot as well.
And then my wife. My wife was in college coaching for seven years, and she misses it a ton, and hopefully we're going to get her on board here soon. But she's someone I talk to all the time about tennis and the team and what I'm trying to do and, and she's a big part of that. And so she always gives a different perspective, which I really appreciate. And we worked really well together for seven years coaching together, and she's. She's always, always happy to, to. To give her opinion and, and help me through anything, too, that I feel like I want to have a second opinion on this. And she's. She's just extremely passionate about tennis and college Tennis. And so I also look at her not only as a life partner, but someone I look up to in tennis and what she's been able to accomplish not only as a player, but as a coach in the sport as well.
[00:13:53] Speaker A: So I'm glad you mentioned your wife. I was going to ask about that. She's been a head coach in college tennis. So in that whole. The whole Kissel family, you must feel like you have a real think tank, support system, all of that, just all within an easy call away.
[00:14:07] Speaker B: Yeah, no, it's a huge tennis family, and I kind of grew up in a tennis family. My parents played and older brother played. I've got two older brothers and one our middle brother played and I played.
So between my family and my wife's family, there's just a ton of tennis and a lot of people that are just extremely passionate about the sport and love to see it continue to grow and.
And extremely supportive of what we're trying to do.
[00:14:35] Speaker A: Okay, you're dropped into Wichita State right as the fall season is getting rolling. Take us through that hectic first few days, first weeks. What are you prioritizing? How are you getting up and running here?
[00:14:47] Speaker B: Yeah, that was a busy first. I think I was here maybe four days before getting on the road with Georgia and Sintong. I got in on a Sunday, looked at a few houses, dropped some stuff off at the office Sunday evening, and then Monday morning officially started and was a little bit of a whirlwind, trying to get everything set up and get acclimated a little bit just with getting in the facility and in the office. But my biggest priority was trying to connect with the team, with the current roster and spend some quality time with them.
Just, I feel like it's really important to start building those relationships. And normally you would have that in the recruiting process, but coming in brand new, when schools already started, we didn't really have much time to kind of build those relationships before getting here. And so I tried to spend some time on the phone with each of them and a couple team calls and just get to know them a little bit, just as people and not necessarily talk about tennis, but learn a little bit about their families and why they chose Wichita State. And.
And then once getting here, just really trying to connect with them and spend time with them on the tennis court. So we start to form that relationship between player and coach and try to try to start on the right foot. And those first couple days were extremely busy, but I think I was here Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday on court and Thursday Morning and then we left for the All American tournament and then we're gone for about nine days. So I think I spent more time on the road down in North Carolina than I had before leaving here than I was actually in Wichita. So hit the ground running. It's been really busy, but it's been great. The team has been amazing, super receptive and really welcoming, working extremely hard. So we're excited about what we're doing. But the girls on the team have been amazing through this transition. And I told them all the first call changes. Change is not easy. And they've just really welcomed me and been great since day one. So it's been busy, but really, really exciting.
[00:16:58] Speaker A: You have a good number of returners back from last season's team. Tell us your first impressions of the talent on the Shocker team.
[00:17:06] Speaker B: Extremely high.
I've been really impressed. Like I said, I had some comfort in knowing what I was maybe walking into and a lot of credit. I think I would be wrong to not give Colin Foster a lot of credit for what he's been able to build here in the current team that we have. So credit definitely to him for leaving me a great team to come in and take over. So I do think the team is extremely talented.
I do think their best tennis is in front of them. It was a team that was, I think, ranked as high as 47 in the country last year and finished 60. And so our goal is to try and get Inside the top 40 this year, be an NCAA tournament team, compete for the American Conference Championship. And if we don't happen to get that championship, we're still going to make the at large selection for the NCAA tournament. And that's where we want to be. That's the goal every year, is to be in the tournament and the girls are on board with that and share that vision. And so I think the team is extremely talented.
And so I'm really looking forward to getting through the rest of the fall here and then getting into matches come spring for the season.
[00:18:15] Speaker A: So you've been at a variety of schools. Western Carolina, you've been in the sec, most recently in the Big Ten.
Recruiting at Wichita State. How will it be different? How will it be similar? How do you adjust?
[00:18:26] Speaker B: Yeah, I think each school kind of has a little bit of a niche that you find, and Wichita State has primarily been one who's been able to attract a lot of high level international kids.
And so I want to continue, obviously building into that. I do think that we have some advantages within our recruiting strategies that are going to help to continue to attract some high level international kids and then hopefully be able to mix in some American kids that are looking to play at a high level and continue to develop and take their tennis to the next level. So it's different everywhere you go.
There's been several spots where maybe academic profile is different or profile of the conference is a little bit different. And here I feel like we're going to continue to be able to attract really good kids internationally and domestically that want to be part of a family culture. They're going to come here, work hard to develop and hopefully reach their goals while they're here. We've got all the resources that a lot of the top programs are offering. And so I feel like if, if girls have a goal to play at the next level, we're going to be able to provide them everything that we can here to help them reach that goal. And so that's what we're trying to attract and hopefully continue to build on some of the recent success that the team has had and keep moving forward.
[00:19:57] Speaker A: The American Strong Women's Tennis Conference Last spring, four teams in the NCAA Tournament. Memphis, Florida Atlantic Rice and Tulsa. How does competing in that kind of a conference make coaching at Wichita State attractive?
[00:20:10] Speaker B: I think everyone who's coming into college tennis wants to try to play at the next level, regardless of where they are coming in. I think a lot have ambitions to try to play professionally and at least give it a shot. And I think having a really, really good conference is very attractive to a lot of recruits.
Everyone's wanting to try to continue to play at a higher and higher level. And so the Americans done extremely well.
I think at one point they had seven or eight teams inside the top 75 rankings and maybe five or six inside the top 50 at one point last year. And so I do think it's an extremely strong conference and maybe gets overlooked at times, but it's something that was definitely really, really attractive to me. And then the other part of being in the American Conference right now we're not playing a conference regular season schedule. So we have the ability to build as strong of a strength of schedule as we want.
And a lot of that will take place in January, February, as most of the conference regular seasons start into February into March. And so I think it provides us a little bit of flexibility with our strength of schedule in the non conference or traditional non conference segment of the season. But we're going to play seven or eight conference opponents that we typically try to get on the schedule every year. And so I do think we'll get a look at some of those teams. But yeah, really, really excited to start that, that part of the year in the spring and see, see what it's all about.
[00:21:44] Speaker A: So revenue sharing, tell us how that factors into building a program at Wichita State.
[00:21:51] Speaker B: Yeah, so it's kind of, kind of new on the slate just in the last year. But I think some people might look at football being an advantage for recruiting or a disadvantage if you don't have it. And I really think that with us not having football, it opens up a whole new avenue for us to be able to look into revenue sharing for the women's tennis program. And you can have difference in views about the whole thing. But I do think that that can give us a definite advantage as we can tap into that market a little bit and be able attract a higher and higher level student athlete being able to give a little bit of revenue share on top of cost of attendance and Allston money. And so I think it just helps you put a more competitive package together for some of these really high level student athletes who are looking to tap into that revenue share market and have a little bit of financial assistance on top of their scholarship and help them to kind of transition into some tournaments, whether that's in the summer or they're saving up that money to kick start their pro career after they graduate. So I definitely think that can be something that, that's an advantage that we have and something that we're really going to lean on and tap into here in the near future.
[00:23:17] Speaker A: So you mentioned the tennis community in Wichita and there's definitely a relationship between Wichita State tennis and the country clubs and playing tennis and instructing tennis. How do you leverage that to your best advant here at Wichita State?
[00:23:32] Speaker B: Yeah, I think you can, you can learn a lot from, from the tennis community. They've been been around a lot longer than I have especially. But I think credit goes to a lot of the former coaches that have been here both on the men's and women's side to build that community of people around these programs. And I think people are just extremely passionate about tennis and there's just a lot of people in the community here that are playing and actively involved in the programs and helping financially support the programs.
And we do a lot of, a lot of donor events and we've got, we call the Legends cup this evening where donors come and they play with the current student athletes on the team and get to play doubles. And so a lot of fun events that we have just. It keeps the community tied into the programs.
And so I think that's huge asset with what we have to sell and the support that these student athletes will get if they decide to come here and play at Wichita State. And so not only having them at matches at home matches to create a home court advantage, but people that they can connect with for future internships and jobs and a lot of opportunity once they would leave. But we've also got a lot of former alums that have stayed in the area because of some of those relationships and have found great jobs and are still here. So I think that the tennis community is just a huge part of what we continue to try to build our programs around and have them involved. And so it's definitely a huge asset that we have here.
[00:25:03] Speaker A: What's your advice for a young coach just getting started in this profession?
[00:25:09] Speaker B: Great question.
I think you got to kind of put your head down and work and show people how hard you're willing to work. Everyone knows the game of tennis and everyone who's getting into this sport gotta. Got a great eye for technique and tactical decisions on the court and have played at a. Played at a high level and.
And then it comes down to like showing people how passionate you are about, about college tennis. And I think one thing I would say too is connect with as many people as you can, as many other coaches and get to know as many coaches as you can. A lot of times it's not what you know, it's who you know and what your connections are. And I think connections are a big part of working your way through this career and finding people who are willing to help you and support you and make a phone call if a job is open and you're trying to. Trying to move your way up the ladder a little bit, having people who are going to be able to help you along the way and support you through that.
But that's kind of built on relationships. And so I think it's important to try to get to know as many coaches as you can and learn from them too. And then who you're working with currently, just put your head down and work and show them what your work ethic is like every day and how passionate you are about the sport. It's really, really important.
[00:26:32] Speaker A: What's the last concert you attended?
[00:26:36] Speaker B: That would be Ed Sheeran in Pittsburgh with my wife.
The probably the first, first major concert that I. That I ever went to, believe it or not. So. But it was a lot of fun. We had had a great time and it was in what was Hines Field at the time but was was an unbelievable performance and show. And so we're trying to figure out what the next one is going to be.
[00:27:02] Speaker A: Okay, go to restaurant. You're on the road coaching at a tournament or you're recruiting. What's your favorite stop.
[00:27:10] Speaker B: And I love food. So something, something quick. Maybe if we're grabbing a lunch, I would say something like a kava.
I've got a.
I'm not too picky. I usually typically let the girls girls pick.
So if I pick, they can't complain about what was picked. So I learned that from. From Coach Clark at Illinois. Just lets the. Lets the girls pick and they always come up with something good. But yeah, I love all kinds of. All kinds of food. So typically try to try to find some local local places to eat lunch or have dinner at and stay away from the chains if we can. Just to try some different things.
[00:27:52] Speaker A: So yeah, if you weren't coaching tennis, is there another sport you might be coaching?
[00:27:56] Speaker B: I would love to coach golf.
I always like golf but never get to play as much as I would like. But I always enjoy being out on the golf course and I think it could be similar in a lot of ways. But being out managing the course and helping the young ladies or young men through the round I think would be a lot of fun. Get to see a lot of beautiful places, a lot of nice clubs. And so that's one. I think if I wasn't in tennis, I would probably want to go that route.
[00:28:26] Speaker A: What's the favorite golf course you've played?
[00:28:29] Speaker B: Oh, I would say Allegheny Country Club in Pittsburgh was probably one of the most exclusive or nicest courses I've probably been on. So I'd say that would be it.
[00:28:50] Speaker A: There's no shortage of good golf courses around here. We'll have to connect you with Judd easterling or Tom McCurdy and get you out on some of the nicer courses around here. Movie recommendation what would you tell the people to check out?
[00:29:02] Speaker B: I would say we are Marshall is probably one of my favorite movies with my connection to Marshall and that being my alma mater in a town I grew up in. I just think it's a great story about the rebuild of not only the football program there, but the community that surrounded Marshall athletics and really think it can resonate well with, with the community here. Just having the memorial service the other day with, with the loss of. Of some athletes and coaches and donors here as well.
Kind of an eerie similarity between my hometown and coming here. But I, I think they depicted the, the story really well in the movie we are Marshall and got to see it being filmed on campus and downtown a little bit while I was, while I was home. And it was going on while I was in college. And so they did a really good job just with the story and the rebuild of not only that program but the community and how much it meant to bring that back to Marshall. So, yeah, check it out if you haven't seen it. Yeah.
[00:30:15] Speaker A: And that movie. Matthew McConaughey is in that movie.
[00:30:17] Speaker B: Correct.
[00:30:17] Speaker A: And that documents the plane crash, 1970 that affected the Marshall football team in the season from the plane crash that affected the Wichita State football team. So there's definitely a connection there. Jacob Eddins, thank you very much for your time. Fall tennis is underway for the Shockers. Next up, they have the ITA Central Region Championships in Norman. That's next week. The American Conference Individual Championships are later this month in Tulsa. NCAA individual play in November. Jacob, thank you for your time.
[00:30:49] Speaker B: Thank you, Paul. Go shucks.
Hi, this is Rick Yiuma, president of Wichita State University.
Check out the latest episode of the Forward Together podcast. Each episode I sit down with different guests from Shocker Nation to celebrate the vision and mission of Wichita State University.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
[00:31:37] Speaker A: Thank you for listening to the Roundhouse podcast courtesy of Wichita State University Strategic Communications. We encourage you to rate, review and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can find more Roundhouse content at goshockers. Com.
Willis shot fake. Looks to drive it. Gives it the corner to McDuffie. 3 by Marcus Good again.
That ball barely moved the net.
