DES MOINES, Iowa – Drake University has tabbed Justin Stuckey as the next men's tennis head coach, Director of Athletics Brian Hardin announced this morning. Stuckey brings a decorated 16-year collegiate coaching resume to lead the Bulldogs' successful men's tennis program.
"We are thrilled to welcome Justin to Drake," Hardin said. "His experience as a program-building head coach at four schools will be a tremendous asset to our tennis program. At Saint Louis, Justin has led both the men's and women's programs to new heights despite not having indoor nor outdoor courts on campus. I look forward to seeing what Justin is able to do as head coach of one program with the tremendous tennis facilities and community support we enjoy at Drake."
Stuckey has amassed a career record of 424-244 with 10 conference championships and teams that ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation while coaching at different levels. He comes to Drake after five seasons as the head men's and women's tennis coach at Saint Louis University. Stuckey led the Billiken men and women to unprecedented results including simultaneous Atlantic 10 Conference tournament semifinal runs and coached six All-Atlantic 10 players including the 2023 A-10 Women's Player of the Year. Most recently, Stuckey guided the SLU men's team to its first-ever regional ranking at No. 7 and first-ever national tournament berth in the NIT Championship presented by UTR Sports. He also led the Billken women to a school record for consecutive wins in a single season.
Stuckey proved himself as a program builder at Saint Louis, elevating both teams throughout his tenure. Prior to his arrival at SLU, the Billiken men were the No. 10 seed in the A-10 Tournament and, largely due to Stuckey's guidance, earned the fourth seed last year and matched the best ranking in program history with the third seed in the 2023 A-10 Tournament. Stuckey holds the top mark in both men's and women's record books with a .641 winning percentage in both divisions. He became the first SLU men's tennis coach to lead the program with a career winning record since 1981 and led the Billikens to 30 combined victories over the past two seasons, the most in consecutive campaigns in 44 years.
"I'm thrilled to be the new leader of the men's tennis program at Drake University," Stuckey said. "I'm grateful to Brian Hardin and the search committee for giving me this opportunity. The culture, community, and standard of excellence is very apparent within the [Drake] athletic department. There is a strong tennis tradition at Drake. The first-class resources also allow for student-athletes to build community and consistently compete for championships. I could not be prouder to join the Bulldog family and continue to contribute to the tennis legacy."
Prior to his time at Saint Louis, Stuckey led the men's and women's teams at both William Woods University and McPherson College from 2014-19. During that stretch, he instructed 15 NAIA All-Americans, won 10 conference championships, reached eight NAIA national tournaments, and earned six Coach of the Year awards from various outlets. Stuckey's head coaching experience started at NCAA Division III Wittenberg University where he developed both teams to top 25 Central Region rankings and set the school record for wins in a season while coaching 30 all-league performers.
Regardless of location, Stuckey's teams have also excelled in the classroom. His squads have been named ITA Academic teams in 14 of his 16 years. Each of those years consisted of at least six student-athletes recognized as ITA All-Academic honorees.
He has amassed other coaching and organizational experience as the founder and director of the Tiger Tennis Academy from 2012-14, director in the USTA Team Tennis summer program, and graduate assistant at Wright State University from 2007-08.
Stuckey played collegiate tennis at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C. There, he earned First Team All-CIAA recognition while garnering the Rookie of the Year award in his first season and team MVP honors in his final two years. The two-time team captain won over 140 matches in his collegiate career and competed in the 2003 and 2004 NCAA Division II National Championships.
