Gardner-Webb head coach Mike Griffith is entering his seventhyear at the helm of the Runnin’ Bulldog men’s tennisprogram.
Griffith guided Gardner-Webb to a 13-14 overall campaign duringits last season in the Atlantic Sun Conference while the teamfinished fifth in the regular season standings. His squad thenupset No. 4 seed Jacksonville in the first round of the A-SunTournament.
In addition to the second consecutive 10-win season the Bulldogsboasted, Griffith’s No. 1 player Evgeny Slesarev earned A-Sunfirst-team accolades. On April 20, Slesarev earned A-Sun Player ofthe Week honors.
In 2006-07, Griffth coached the Bulldogs to their best seasonsince moving to Division I in 2002. The Bulldogs went 10-13overall, making it the first year that the program has had 10 winssince its transition from a Division II institution.
Griffith also guided the Bulldogs to a No. 4 seed in the 2007Atlantic Sun Conference Championship tournament, the highest-everseeding for GWU in the post-season conference tournament. Lastyear, the Bulldogs saw two members receive post-season honors asEvgeny Slesarev was named first-team All-Atlantic Sun and named tothe A-Sun All-Freshmen team. Fellow classmate Grant VanRensburggarnered Atlantic Sun All-Freshman Team accolades. In March,Slesarev became the first-ever GWU men’s tennis player toearn the Atlantic Sun Men’s Tennis Player of the WeekAward.
During his tenure at Gardner-Webb, Griffith has had 13 of hisathletes named Intercollegiate Tennis Association Academic AllAmericans and has also seen both the men’s and women’steam be named as an ITA All-Academic Team twice during his time inBoiling Springs. GWU’s men’s team also won the ITAAll-Academic Team award in 2007, 2006 and 2004. The prestigiousaward is given to teams with a cumulative grade point average of3.20 or higher and individuals with a GPA of 3.5 or higher whilebeing a varsity letter winner.
Along with his coaching resume, Griffith also boasts anaccomplished tennis career, having played in the collegiate ranksas well as competing on the Senior Circuit.
While at Anderson Junior College, Griffith’s team won the1986 National Championship. After transferring to Winthrop,Griffith earned all-Big South Conference honors in 1987 and1988.
During summer months, Griffith is very active in tennis campsand recruiting. Over the years he has worked at Lehigh, Clemson,Furman, William & Mary, Wofford and in 2008 will work atAlabama. Griffith takes pride in the 2006-07 freshman class, whichwas voted one of the top early signing classes of Division Ischools by tennisrecruiting.net.
The Greenwood, S.C., native earned his associate of arts degreefrom Anderson in 1986 and his bachelor of arts degree from Winthropin 1988.
Griffith and his wife, Donna, currently reside in Gastonia,N.C., where Donna is an elementary school teacher for Gaston CountySchools. The couple has a seven-year old son, Carson.
