Bob Meyers
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Southern Illinois University
2014
Bob Meyers was first introduced to tennis at age five by chasing balls for his father, a tournament player in Illinois, and trying to hit them back using his mother’s racquet. Although he played several sports through school, it wasn’t until he was at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville that he played intramural tennis for his fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon. Meyers earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1971 and a master’s in counselor education in 1972. He served as the Assistant Athletic Director and Intramural Department Head at SIUE during the early 1970s.
Meyers inaugurated the SIUE women’s tennis program in 1981 and was named ITA Division II National Coach of the Year in 1983. The Cougars won four consecutive NCAA Division II Championships from 1986 to 1989, and in 1986 Meyers also became head coach of the men’s team. He earned the men’s ITA National Coach of the Year honor in 1988, making him the only coach in NCAA Division II tennis history to win Coach of the Year honors in both men’s and women’s tennis. Under his leadership, SIUE’s tennis program developed into one of the best in the nation.
Following the 1989 NCAA Division II Women’s Team Championship title, he resigned from the university to pursue other interests. Almost 20 years later, Meyers became assistant coach for the Edwardsville High School boys’ and girls’ tennis teams and was honored with Assistant Coach of the Year in 2013.
Career Highlights
- Member of the Intercollegiate TennisAssociation since 1972
Assistant Athletic Director and HRPE Instructor at SIUE — 1973–1985
Co-Director of the first junior tennis camp for the Metro East, St. Louis Area — 1979–1989
Assistant Tournament Director for the Boys 18s USTA Junior Davis Cup Championships — 1977–1984
Head Coach Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Women’s Tennis — 1979–1989 and Men’s Tennis 1986-1989
Coached 32 players to NCAA Division II All-American status — 1979–1989
Coached 11 players to NCAA Division II National Championship Berths
ITA DII National Coach of the Year for Women’s Tennis — 1983
NCAA Division II Women’s Team Championships — 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1989
NCAA Division II Women’s Singles Championships — 1984, 1985 and 1989
NCAA Division II Doubles Championships — 1987 and 1988
ITA DII National Coach of the Year for Men’s Tennis — 1988
ITA Division II National Representative — 1980–1989
Director of the Girls 18s USTA Junior Davis Cup Championship — 1983
Tournament Director for NCAA, Division II Women’s National Tennis Championships — 1983 and 1989
NCAA National Division II Chairman for Men and Women — 1984–1989
Tournament Director for NCAA DII Men’s National Tennis Championships — 1989
Tournament Director for the State of Illinois, Prairie State Games — 1990–1992
Co-Chairman of the ITA/NCAA DII Men’s National Rankings Committee — 1986–1989
Chair of the men’s NCAA DII Midwest Regional Committee — 1986–1989
Certified as a Professional 1 by the United States Professional Tennis Association — 1987
Inducted into the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame — 2008
Head tennis pro at the Edwardsville YMCA
Assistant coach boys’ and girls’ tennis at Edwardsville High School — 2008 to present (as of 2014)
Assistant Coach of the Year by the Illinois High School Tennis Coaches Association — 2013
