BY JIMMY GILLIGAN | The Statesman The UMD Athletic Department introduced Jessica Worden as the head tennis coach in a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Worden comes to UMD after coaching at the College of St. Scholastica, as well a number of Minnesota high schools.
As a 2007 graduate of CSS, she was a four-year letter winner on the tennis team. As a senior, she was named Upper Midwest Athletic Conference player of the year after winning the league’s singles championship.
“We’re pleased she has joined the Bulldog athletic family and are confident there is a bright future ahead for UMD tennis,” Athletic Director Josh Berlo said.
She takes over a program that hasn’t had a lot of success as of late. In the past three seasons, they’ve won a total of nine games. But Worden sees UMD as on the brink of getting back to the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
“I think they’re right on the edge of making that change to get to the extra rounds in the playoffs,” Worden said.
In addition to her experiences at CSS, Worden has coached the boy’s and girl’s teams at Hermantown High School.
“Coach Worden comes to UMD with an impressive resume of developing tennis players at the collegiate and high school levels, (and) she knows the tennis landscape of the region,” Berlo said.
She believes her vast experience with tennis in the Duluth area will help her build a strong program.
“I think that I have a good relationship with all of the local high schools… and I still have ties to where I graduated high school in Buffalo (Minnesota). Just being able to be open and keep my communication with all the other high school coaches will bring a lot of talent up here,” Worden said.
She was excited to be named head coach for the Bulldogs after following the UMD tennis program in the past and being so involved with tennis in the area.
“Being young and watching the Bulldogs and now being able to be a leader of the team is priceless. I’m really excited to get on the court with these girls,” Worden said.
Worden is the fourth coach hired by the UMD athletic department in the last 12 months. Women’s hockey coach Maura Crowell, softball coach Jen Walter and women’s basketball coach Mandy Pearson have all been hired within the past year.
Like Worden, Walter also formerly coached at St. Scholastica before joining UMD this summer.
Worden and the UMD tennis team kicks off of their 2016 season in February.