Wichita, Kan. – Wichita State welcomes Jacob Eddins as the new Head Coach of the women's tennis team. With a proven track record of elevating collegiate programs to national prominence, Coach Eddins brings exceptional leadership, recruiting acumen, and a passion for student-athlete development to Shocker tennis.

"We are thrilled to welcome Jacob Eddins, and his family, to Wichita State," said Wichita State Director of Athletics Kevin Saal. "His impressive and successful track record across multiple programs, including Illinois, West Virginia, Auburn, and Western Carolina, aligns seamlessly with our vision for dynamic growth and championship-level performance. Jacob's energy, expertise, and commitment to student-athletes will be critical elements in the future success of our program."

"I am honored to be named the next Head Women's Tennis Coach at Wichita State University," Eddins said. "I want to thank Director of Athletics Kevin Saal and Senior Associate AD Brad Pittman for entrusting me with the opportunity to lead a program with such a proud and storied tradition. I'm also incredibly grateful to my wife, Michaela, and our four beautiful children - Kylie, Gavin, Jayce, and Carter - for their unwavering love and support. I wouldn't be in this position without them and can't thank them enough!"

Most recently serving as Associate Head Coach at Illinois, Eddins joined the Fighting Illini in July 2023. In just two seasons, he helped guide the team to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances—highlighted by a Second Round showing in 2025. Illinois compiled a combined 32–23 overall record (16–8 in Big Ten play), secured automatic entry into the prestigious ITA National Team Indoor Championships as hosts, and produced several nationally ranked doubles and singles players.

During the 2024-25 season, Illinois posted a 15–13 overall mark, earned an at-large NCAA bid, and celebrated stars like McKenna Schaefbauer and Megan Heuser, both named Second Team All-Big Ten, and Ariel Madatali, who earned a place on the Big Ten's inaugural All-Freshman Team.

In his first Illinois season (2023-24), Eddins and the staff led the team to a 17–10 overall record (8–3 in conference) and an NCAA bid. Highlights included an upset win over No. 23 UCF during ITA Kickoff Weekend and achieving Illinois's best early-season ranking since 2019 with a No. 24 national ranking.

Prior to Illinois, Eddins served as Assistant—and later Associate—Head Coach at West Virginia. There, he helped guide the Mountaineers to their highest-ever ITA ranking (No. 51), led a standout 11–4 spring start in 2023, and helped secure WVU's first Big 12 win since 2018 with a milestone victory over Kansas State. He was instrumental in recruiting WVU's best-ever signing class in 2020, ranked No. 29 nationally by Tennis Recruiting Network.

His coaching resume also includes a successful season at Auburn (2018-19), where he helped guide the team to 14 wins, a top ranking of No. 25, and a notable upset of No. 13 Georgia Tech during ITA Kickoff Weekend. Eddins also contributed to Western Carolina's most successful stretch in program history—including a school-record wins total in 2016—and held coaching stints at Pittsburgh, Cornell, and Marshall, where he began his career as a volunteer assistant while earning his business degree in 2008.

A native of Huntington, West Virginia, Eddins is a two-time high school singles state champion and a doubles state champion. He earned his bachelor's degree in business management with a minor in Marketing from Marshall University in 2008. He is married to Michaela Kissell-Eddins, and together they have four children: Kylie, Gavin, Jayce, and Carter.

"I'm so excited to get to campus to begin this journey with the team," Eddins said. "Our goal will be to pursue excellence every day in everything we do on and off the courts. I also look forward to engaging with such a vibrant tennis community along with our fans and donors. I'm confident the future is bright for Wichita State Women's Tennis. Go Shockers!"