Breaunna Addison, a decorated collegiate and prep tennis player who has five years of NCAA Division I coaching experience at two institutions, was named Drake University women's tennis head coach, director of athletics Brian Hardin announced Oct. 31.
"We are thrilled to welcome Breaunna to Drake," Hardin said. "The progressive responsibilities she has gained in her coaching career combined with her playing experiences position her to make an incredible impact on our women's tennis student-athletes. We are excited to see how Coach Addison will continue the upwards trajectory our women's tennis program has created over the past couple seasons."
Addison brings a deep knowledge of the sport of tennis and a rich history as both a player and a coach. She has spent the last two years as the associate head tennis coach at Howard University in Washington, D.C. At Howard, Addison led the Bison women's program to a 10-5 overall record and undefeated 6-0 mark in MEAC competition during the 2021-22 season. She also assisted in coaching the Bison's men's program for two solid seasons.
Prior to Howard, Addison spent three seasons as an assistant tennis coach at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Breaunna helped the RedHawks capture the 2018-19 Mid-American Conference regular season and tournament crowns. Under her leadership, Miami also secured their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015.
Addison ventured to Miami after a stint at LAT Tennis Academy in Boynton Beach, Fla where she served as a high-performance coach.
Addison shifted to coaching tennis after a remarkable playing career at the University of Texas at Austin (2013-16). Breaunna was a member of three NCAA Tournament teams and a Big 12 Conference championship team while at Texas. Individually, she reached the 2013 NCAA Singles Semifinals and earned multiple honors including All-American recognition (2013-16), Big 12 Player of the Year (2014 & 2016), Big 12 Freshman of the Year (2013), Big 12 Tournament Most Valuable Player (2013), and an NCAA Elite 89 nomination.
Breaunna also had a stellar prep career as a former top-ranked player in both Girls 12 and 14 divisions. She also won three International Tennis Federation Junior Titles and reached an international ranking as high as 139th in the world.
Addison completed her undergraduate studies at Texas where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management. She also earned her Master of Science in Kinesiology and Health with a concentration in Sports Psychology while at Miami of Ohio.
"The Drake women's tennis program has demonstrated their competitive excellence in the MVC and potential to establish themselves as a nationally ranked program," new Bulldog head coach Breaunna Addison said. "I would like to express my gratitude to Brian Hardin and Megan Franklin for entrusting me to lead the Drake women's tennis program. I am humbled to be a member of the Bulldog family, and eager to continue the tradition of cultivating champions on and off the court."
Addison will take over as head coach in late November and begin working with the current women's tennis team in preparation of their 2023 spring season.
