DES MOINES, Iowa – A new era of Drake University women's tennis began Thursday as Calvin Song, a Central Iowa native, was tabbed as the program's next head coach, Director of Athletics Brian Hardin announced.
Song arrives in Des Moines after one year as an assistant coach at West Virginia University. In Morgantown, Song was part of an historic 2023-24 season as he helped guide the Mountaineers to a 15-13 overall record, their first winning season since joining the Big 12, and an appearance in the UTR Sports 2024 NIT Championship. WVU's postseason berth marked its first national tournament appearance in program history and included a 4-2 victory over Pacific for the team's first-ever postseason win. The Mountaineers were 11-1 through their first dozen matches last year, their best 12-match start since the 1986 season. The 15 total victories were most in program history since 2010 and the team also set a Mountaineers record for most Big 12 Conference wins in a season. Song was an essential piece of the WVU tennis puzzle as he had major impact on the Mountaineers' player development and recruiting.
"We are thrilled to bring Calvin back to Iowa and have him lead our women's tennis program," Hardin said. "Through the interview process, it became clear how passionate Calvin was about the role he would have as our head coach in positively impacting the lives of our student-athletes on and off the court. Calvin is well connected in the tennis industry as well as the Des Moines area and he has been part of successful programs everywhere he has coached. We look forward to the energy and continuity Calvin will bring to the Roger Knapp Tennis Center."
Prior to his time at West Virginia, Song was an assistant coach at Fresno State University in Fresno, Calif. from 2021-23. He helped lead those Bulldogs to a 20-4 mark in the 2021-22 campaign and a combined 21-9 record in conference play over three seasons. During his Fresno State tenure, Song had a hand in the Bulldogs' 2022 Mountain West Conference regular season championship, when they went 10-0 in league play to clinch their first in school history, while instructing three MWC Players of the Year, a top-45 doubles team, and a trip to the 2023 NCAA Tournament. FSU enjoyed 10-straight weeks in the Top 75 of the ITA Team Rankings and reached as high as 51st in the country.
Before heading to Fresno, Song had volunteer coaching roles with the Wake Forest University men's team and University of Iowa women's program. During his time in Iowa City, Song and the Hawkeyes pulled off a top-50 upset. Prior to serving on the Hawkeyes' coaching staff, Calvin was an assistant tennis professional from 2016-20. He is a United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) elite pro-certified coach and was named 2020 USPTA Missouri Valley Iowa Pro of the Year.
A native of Ames, Iowa, Song graduated from Iowa State in 2016 after earning a Bachelor of Science in Marketing.
What they're saying…
"I am excited to hear that Calvin has been appointed as the head coach of the [women's] tennis program at Drake University. With three successful years at Fresno State, he played a pivotal role in leading the team to a Mountain West regular season championship. His passion for tennis is matched only by his deep commitment to the personal and athletic development of his players. Calvin has also proven himself as an exceptional leader and mentor. His energy is truly contagious, lighting up every room and motivating everyone around him to push their limits. I am confident that he will cultivate a culture of teamwork and competitive spirit. His ability to connect with student-athletes and inspire them to thrive both on and off the court is a testament to his character and coaching philosophy. I look forward to the exciting future of Drake Tennis under Calvin's leadership." – Fresno State University women's tennis head coach Denise Dy
"Drake couldn't have hired a better person and coach to lead their tennis program into the future. Calvin's resourcefulness, work ethic, and passion will help the program at Drake to be very competitive moving forward. Calvin has been quickly rising through the coaching profession toward becoming a head coach and this is a well-deserved step in his career." – West Virginia University women's tennis head coach Miha Lisac
"I'm so excited for Calvin and Drake Tennis. Calvin is a very passionate and motivated coach, [so he makes] an amazing hire for the Bulldogs. His players will love him, the community will love him, I have no doubt he'll be an amazing leader. [I'm] very much looking forward to watching him build the Bulldog program." – Wake Forest men's tennis head coach Tony Bresky
