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 in any sport - 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 made appearances in the NCAA Division II Regional championships 13 times from 1995 to 2017. Former Lion 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.
As a coach, Brice Bishop coached the UNA men for 20 seasons, marking the longest period of any Lion coach, surpassing those of Eddie Flowers (1932-48) and Larry Thompson (1981-97), who coached UNA tennis teams for 17 seasons each. The UNA men’s program became a regular participant in the NCAA Division II National Tournament. The Lions appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2016 and 2017.
In 2018, UNA began a four-year transition to the NCAA Division I that was completed in the spring of 2022.
MEN’S HISTORY AT A GLANCE
FIRST YEAR OF MEN’S TENNIS: 1932
GSC CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1981
INDIVIDUALS IN NCAA TOURNAMENT: 1985, 1988, 1990
TEAMS IN NCAA REGIONAL TOURNAMENT: 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2017
TEAMS IN NAIA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT: 1957, 1959
