Aug. 4, 2014

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina women’s tennis head coach Kevin Epley announced Monday the hiring of Jeff Nevolo as his new assistant coach. Nevolo spent the previous two seasons as an assistant for the Air Force men’s tennis program and was an assistant for the men’s team at Alabama for a year prior to his stint with the Falcons.

“We are extremely excited to have Jeff join the coaching staff this year,” Epley said. “Jeff is one of the up and coming coaches on the scene and he will bring a wealth of passion and experience to the table. We expect him to have an immediate contribution as a coach and recruiter.”

After being promoted to associate head coach prior to his second season, Nevolo helped the Falcons to their first winning record since 2006 last year. Air Force finished the season with a 13-12 record and achieved its highest national ranking ever at No. 63 in late February. A 4-3 victory over 49th-ranked BYU early in the season marked AFA’s first over a ranked team since Feb. 4, 2005. Air Force also won its first regular-season Mountain West dual match since 2003.

In his one season at Alabama, Nevolo helped the Crimson Tide to a 10-15 record, and players Jarryd Botha and Ricky Doverspike advance to the round of 16 at the 2012 NCAA Doubles Championships.

Nevolo, a native of Gurnee, Ill., earned a bachelor’s in sport administration in 2009 from Ball State and began his coaching stint for the Cardinals that fall as a volunteer assistant before being promoted to assistant coach the following year. During the spring, Nevolo helped Ball State capture the Mid-American Conference title for the first time since 2005, which gave the Cardinals an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. As an undergraduate, Nevolo served as team manager and team stringer, where he maintained the rackets, assisted in practices and managed expenses for away matches. He also earned a master’s degree in executive development for public service from Ball State in 2011.

Aside from coaching at Ball State, Nevolo was also a tennis teaching professional at The Bridgewater Club in Carmel, Ind., and the Muncie Family YMCA in Muncie, Ind. He and his wife, Diana, were married in July 2013.