Jeff Nevolo

Jeff Nevolo, the 2018 ITA National Assistant Coach of the Year, was named the Gamecocks’ women’s tennis assistant coach on August 4, 2014. Nevolo spent the 2012-13 and 2013-14 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. Nevolo has been the named the ITA Carolina Region Assistant Coach of the Year twice (2016, 2018) in addition to earning the national honor at the conclusion of the 2017-18 season. He is the first Gamecock coach or player to earn one of the ITA’s season-ending national awards.

The Gamecocks have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in all four of Nevolo’s seasons at South Carolina, including back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in 2017 and 2018 for just the second time in program history. The 2017-18 season saw the Gamecocks rewrite South Carolina’s history. Carolina earned a program-best ranking of No. 5; finished the season at No. 12, tying the highest since 1999; amassed a 21-7 record, marking the first time since 1982 and 1983 the Gamecocks posted consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins; and notched an 11-2 regular-season SEC record, its best since joining the conference in 1991-92.

In 2016-17, the Gamecocks finished the year ranked No. 15 in the nation, their highest at the time since 1999, and won 20 matches for the first time since 1995. South Carolina also sent two players to the round of 32 at the NCAA Singles Championship for the first time since 1983, and Mia Horvit became just the second singles All-American in school history by advancing to the round of 16.

In the 2015-16 season, Nevolo played a pivotal role in helping South Carolina turn in one of its best seasons in school history. The Gamecocks cracked the top 10 for the first time since 1983, hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002 and finished with 19 wins, the best in over 20 years at the time. Doubles teammates Hadley Berg and Paige Cline went on to become the program’s first All-Americans since 1994 after capturing a pair of top-10 victories at the NCAA Doubles Championship.

In his first year with South Carolina, Nevolo helped head coach Kevin Epley and the Gamecocks qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the 21st time in a row. South Carolina reached the second round of the tournament for the 18th time in those 21 years and nearly upset Virginia for a trip to the NCAA Championships. The Gamecocks finished the season with a 15-11 record and went 6-7 in the SEC.

At Air Force, Nevolo was promoted to associate head coach prior to his second season. He then helped the Falcons to their first winning record since 2006, as 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. After graduating, Nevolo 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, he 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. 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 and have a daughter, Leah.