TIFTON - In the first 57 years of the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College tennis program, only three head coaches led the program. That kind of consistency is not lost on Matt Rogel, who will lead the program this spring as the fourth head coach in the college’s history.
During his ABAC career, Rogel helped lead the Stallions to a pair of top 6 national finishes and was named a “National Player to Watch” during his freshman year in 2016-17. The Nantes, France native is excited that his first head coaching opportunity will be at his alma mater.
“This is a great opportunity,” Rogel said. “I love that I get to go back to where it all started. I can’t think of a better place to start my head coaching journey.” Rogel parlayed his ABAC success into a highly decorated career at Georgia College and State University. He was an ITA Doubles All-American in 2018-19 and won several scholar-athlete awards during his time as a Bobcat. “We’re thrilled to have someone of Matt’s caliber leading our program,” said ABAC Athletic Director Charles Wimberly. “Our program always has high expectations, and he not only understands that, he embraces it.” Rogel earned his master’s degree at Georgia College while serving as the assistant tennis coach, always with an eye on becoming a head coach. When that opportunity came at ABAC, he jumped at the chance. And he said his first head coaching position became even more exciting when the college was approved for four-year status in May and was approved for membership by the NAIA. “Competing in the NAIA will be completely new for our program,” he said. “There is a great tradition here and following coaches like Red Hill, Alan Kramer, and Dale White, I know I have big shoes to fill. But I’m excited about the chance to build on that great tradition as we move into NAIA competition.” Last year in the National Junior College Athletic Association, ABAC’s men’s team finished fourth in the country while the women’s team finished fifth. “A strong culture drives results, and that’s what I will focus on developing as we transition into NAIA and compete as a four-year school,” Rogel said. “I’m grateful for our athletic director Charles Wimberly for his trust and also for Coach Steve Barsby and Wendell Staton for their mentorship during my time at Georgia College and State University. I will continue to carry their influence with me in my coaching journey at ABAC.”