Graduate studies enhance new interim tennis coach’s work with team

Tennis has been part of Will Giles ’18 life for as long as he can remember. But now, as newly named interim head tennis coach, Giles is applying both his graduate and undergraduate studies to the sport he loves.

Giles played tennis as a Communication major at McDaniel and landed a position as grad assistant to the tennis team when he started graduate school here in Human Resources last fall. Then, he recently stepped up and took on the role of interim head coach to the team.

“I’m really excited about it,” Giles says. “Tennis was always a family time when I was growing up, and each summer I’ve given lessons but now I am able to use my communication skills and what I’m learning in human resources in team management and coaching.”

Giles has made the transition from player to coach with little difficulty, although if pushed will admit to missing competing on the court from time to time. Instead, he’s channeled his energies into establishing a social media presence for the team to get out the word about Green Terror tennis.

He’s also well into recruiting, analyzing films and paperwork.

“In class we’re learning about organizational theory and behavior — basically why people do things,” he says. “The ideas easily transfer from the workplace to the tennis court, and I find that as coach I am combining that with what I learned about effective communication as an undergrad.

“There’s a good connection between my classes and my work as coach.”

The spring season opens for the men’s team March 20, the first day of spring, at Frostburg, while the women already notched a win in their first match of the spring season against Notre Dame of Maryland.