UNA MEN’S TENNIS HISTORY UNA MEN’S TENNIS HISTORY The University of North Alabama men’s tennis program began in 1932 under coach Eddie Flowers. While he was head coach the Lions won the school’s first championship - the Mississippi Valley Conference Championship in 1936. Flowers remained as tennis coach until 1948. Over the years the men’s tennis team has made two NAIA National Tournament appearances and won the Alabama Collegiate Conference championship in 1957 and 1959. The Lions were also Gulf South Conference Champions in 1981. More recently, the Lions have made appearances in the NCAA Division II Regional championships eleven times since 1995. Current UNA head coach Brice Bishop played tennis for the Lions and was the Gulf South Conference singles champion in 1984 and 1985. Bishop was also UNA’s first NCAA Division II All-American in 1985. Rickard Nilsson also received All-American recognition in 1990. The UNA tennis program has had 20 head coaches in its 79year tennis history. The longest tenures of any Lion tennis coaches were those of Eddie Flowers (1932-48) and Larry Thompson (1981-97), who coached UNA tennis teams for 17 seasons each. Alabama Collegiate Conference Individual Champions
LION TEAM HONORS Mississippi Valley Conference Champions 1936 NAIA Championship Team Participant 1957, 1959 Alabama Collegiate Conference Champions 1962, 1963
Gulf South Conference Champions 1981
Singles 1961 No. 2 Bill Moore 1962 Charlie Hastings 1962 Bill Moore 1963 No. 2 Charlie Hastings 1963 No. 3 Winky Adams 1964 No. 2 Winky Adams Doubles 1962 1963 No. 2 1964 No. 1
Ronnie Cook-Bill Moore Joe Jones-Jackie Burgess Joe Jones-Winky Adams
NCAA Division II Championship Participant 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 2008
Gulf South Conference Individual Champions Singles 1981 No. 3 1981 No. 4 1981 No. 6 1984 No. 1 1985 No. 1
Kevin Bradford Tracy Townsend Mike Robinson Brice Bishop Brice Bishop
Doubles 1981 No. 2 1985 No. 1
Kevin Bradford-Tracy Townsend Brice Bishop-Calvert Bibb
1