Assistant Coaches Ace It: Lynch and Ellis to Coach FUS Tennis Teams

STEUBENVILLE—Changes continue for athletics at Franciscan University of Steubenville as two new coaches join the staff. Serving as assistant tennis coaches under head coach Curtis Allen this past year, Jenna Lynch and Jeremy Ellis step up to take over the tennis program as Allen heads back to his home state of California. Both are ready to challenge the young teams with a new level of success this season.

“It is my goal to increase the level of intensity and commitment of the program,” said Lynch, “so I will be demanding much of the women that are on the team.”

“For the returning players, know that from the time you step out on the court until the end of the season, my goal is to make you a better player,” said Ellis. “For any player interested in trying out: we won conference [AMCC championship] and would love to continue to, so if you are up to excruciating practices and intense discipline, join us!”

Lynch is walking onto the court with an assistant coach’s familiarity, but is faced with leading a team with only one season of experience. “Because this is the second season of the women's tennis program it will be important to demand more from the girls as athletes and as women,” she noted.  “I feel that because the program is new, it is important for me to provide the necessary coaching techniques that will shape the program into a competitive and respectable program at Franciscan.  The direction of the program will be determined by the growth that feeds off of the inaugural season.” The Lady Barons finished their first season 4-4 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference.

The Baron tennis team just wrapped up a 9-1 second season, and has already reached the top in the AMCC. Ousting conference heavyweight Penn State Behrend, Franciscan clinched the conference title in a tiebreaker. Ellis is faced with stepping into some big shoes, but he appears unfazed.  “I am excited about it,” he said. “It is always a challenge to continue a winning streak, but we have the talent and player dedication to do it.”

Jenna Lynch was born and raised in Central Wisconsin and began playing tennis at a very young age. As No. 1 seed in singles for three out of the four years she played in high school, Lynch decided to take a step back from the sport after high school and pursue a degree in social work at Franciscan. Determined to not let her skill die, she ran tennis clinics and coached private lessons while in school. Lynch joined Coach Allen in the fall 2010 season as assistant women’s tennis coach, so is fluent in the inner workings of a NCAA Division III team and the unique spirituality Franciscan weaves into its athletics program.

“The high level of intensity of a collegiate sport cannot be separated from the spirituality that is so present at Franciscan,” Lynch added. “I plan to emphasize that the physical demands and development of the body for an athlete are identical to challenges associated with spiritual growth.  I want to teach the girls that to physically endure through a third set is synonymous with the type of endurance and perseverance that God call's us to in prayer and faith.”

Jeremy Ellis originally hails from Okeechobee, Fla., and first honed his skills as No. 1 seed in singles and doubles at Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind. After college he became a finalist in the Blueberry Festival Open Tournament in 2009 and 2010, won the Montgomery County Clay Court Open Tournament in 2010 in men’s open singles and men’s open doubles, and was the finalist in mixed open doubles. Ellis’s GMVTA 5.0 league team was the league champions in 2010 and his USTA 9.0 Mixed Doubles USTA Team was league and district champions that same year. He is currently rated as a 5.0 in the USTA adult ratings. Before taking on the position as assistant men’s tennis coach at Franciscan, Ellis was the head teaching professional and tennis director at Dayton Center Courts in Dayton, Ohio. As a youth pastor at Crossroads Christian Church in Wintersville, Ohio, integrating spirituality into everyday life is second nature for Ellis.

“There is so much about sports that correlate to our walk with God,” Ellis noted. “Discipline, devotion, living life together, and many other attributes associated with sports can help us grow in our relationship with God.  My desire as a coach is to continually point out these attributes to remind us of the bigger picture.”

The Lady Barons begin their second season at the end of August, while the Barons condition in preparation for their spring season. Coaches Lynch and Ellis can be contacted via email: jlynch@franciscan.edu and jellis@franciscan.edu.