3rd Year
Davis & Elkins ‘91
Lee Underwood enters his third season as the head coach of the Edinboro men’s and women’s tennis teams, which were resurrected for the 2010-11 school year after being eliminated following the 2002-03 season. The men’s team went 3-10 in 2010-11 then improved to 11-14 a year ago and qualified for the PSAC Championships, while the women’s team was 8-17 last year following a 2-12 record the year before. Underwood was named the PSAC Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year.
In addition, Underwood received the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) Pennsylvania Member of the Year Award in February 2012. PTR International Tennis Symposium. The PTR Member of the Year award is presented to a PTR member in the United States who has shown dedication and diligence in promoting and supporting tennis and PTR.
Underwood is entering the 22
nd season of his coaching career with numerous stops along the way, most recently six years at West Virginia Wesleyan College. His men’s teams had a record of 93-34 during that period, with trips to the NCAA Tournament the last three years. He coached the Bobcats’ women’s teams the last four years, showing a 41-32 record, including a 14-6 finish his last year when the women’s team won the WVIAC championship. The women’s team made the NCAA Division II Tournament his final two years. The men’s team claimed its third-straight WVIAC title during the 2009-10 season while tying a school record for wins with a 22-3 record. In addition, the men won the Atlantic Region title in 2010 with a 5-0 win over Bloomsburg, then went on to reach the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament before suffering a 5-0 loss to Columbus State (Ga.). The 2007-08 men’s team also won 22 matches, finishing with a 22-4 record.
Prior to his tenure at West Virginia Wesleyan, Underwood served as the men’s and women’s tennis coach at Davis & Elkins College for 13 years, from 1991-2004. His men’s teams were 186-151 during that period, with the women’s teams compiling an 86-92 record.
All told, Underwood’s teams at West Virginia Wesleyan and Davis & Elkins compiled a record of 386-302. He now has 410 collegiate victories.
Having taken over fledgling programs at West Virginia Wesleyan and Davis & Elkins, Underwood is undaunted by the task of rebuilding Edinboro’s tennis program.
“This is the third time in my life I’ve done it,” he pointed out upon his hiring. “When I came to Wesleyan we were at a very low point. Four years later we were in the NCAA’s. Some of it was luck, things went our way. But still in four years we built that program up.”
Underwood was named the WVIAC Coach of the Year five times, including the Men’s Coach of the Year in 2007, ’08 and ’09. He was also recognized as the WVIAC Men’s Coach of the Year in 1994 at Davis & Elkins, and was the Women’s Coach of the Year in 1995. All told, he has been honored with seven Coach of the Year honors, including the 2008 ITA Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year and the 2010 ITA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.
Underwood graduated from Davis & Elkins with a bachelor’s degree in Health & Physical Education in 1991. He later earned his master’s degree in Physical Education from West Virginia University in 1996. He and his wife Cherie have three children – Olivia, Hunter and Jarrod.
