Darragh Glavin was announced as Wichita State's head men's tennis coach on June 20, 2022 and will begin his fourth season as head coach of the Shockers in the 2025-26 season.
In the 2024-25 season, Glavin speared a bounceback year for the Shockers, overseeing a seven-win improvement from the previous year. With two new assistant coaches and five new players, Glavin's new-look crew posted a 12-13 record, recording the most wins and best win percentage by the Shockers in a season since 2021. Glavin led the Shockers to a win in the first round of the American Championship, beating UAB 4-0 on April 17, earning his first postseason victory as a head coach. Additionally, the Shockers returned to the ITA rankings for the first time since 2023 and ended the year ranked No. 7 in the ITA Central Region.
Injuries derailed the Shockers' 2023-24 campaign, but the Shockers still managed to collect a marquee win with a home upset of South Florida in their regular-season finale.
In his first season leading the men's tennis program, Glavin led the Shockers to an 11-16 overall record, which included a fantastic record of 8-3 in home matches. The highlight of the regular season for Glavin came on April 8th, 2023, when the Shockers defeated AAC opponent and 55th ranked Southern Methodist University (SMU) 4-3. Coach Glavin saw freshman Alejandro Jacome be named as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) Central Region Freshman of the Year. He also oversaw the Shocker duo of Kristof Minarik and Alex Richards being ranked 8th in the ITA's Central Region Doubles Rankings and Minarik was ranked 20th in the ITA's Central Region Singles Rankings
Glavin (whose first name pronounced “DAA-rah”) came to Wichita after two seasons as assistant coach at the University of Miami where he helped the Hurricane to consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
“Darragh is a high-energy guy with a magnetic personality and a wealth of knowledge,” Senior Associate Athletic Director, Brad Pittman said of the hiring. “He’s an up-and-comer in the tennis coaching world and we’re thrilled to be welcoming him and his family to Wichita.”
Originally from Ireland, Glavin was a four-year standout at Old Dominion (2012-16) before breaking into the coaching ranks as a volunteer assistant at Princeton (2017-19) and full-time assistant at Delaware (2019-20).
“My wife, Rachel and I are very excited to move our family to Wichita and become a part of this welcoming community,” Glavin said. “After being on campus and meeting with the staff, I could feel how strongly they care for our student-athletes and teams. I’m looking forward to working with the current players and continuing to build upon the tremendous growth that this program experienced under Coach (Danny) Bryan.”
At Miami, Glavin reunited with his former Old Dominion head coach, Aljosa Piric. The pair guided the Hurricane to a 17-10 dual record in 2022, including a first-round NCAA tournament victory over South Florida, and finished 30th in the ITA Division I team rankings.
Glavin played a part in the development of three All-ACC players, including a pair of first-teamers. Adria Soriano Barrera won the 2021 ITA Southeast Region’s Most-Improved Player Award and was voted Senior of the Year after finishing 44th in the Division I singles rankings. Dan Martin earned first team honors in 2022 and checked in 60th nationally.
Glavin made an impact in his lone season as Delaware’s assistant coach, while working under Pablo Montana. The Blue Hens were in the midst of a school-record 14-match winning streak when their season was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the team’s .933 winning percentage (14-1) was the program’s best since the 1975 season.
As volunteer assistant at Princeton (2017-19), Glavin learned the ropes under veteran head coach Billy Pate. During his two seasons in the Ivy League, the Tigers fashioned a 38-20 mark, highlighted by a program-record 20 wins in 2018. Glavin helped develop five All-Ivy League honorees, including the 2019 Ivy League Rookie of the Year in Karl Poling.
Glavin’s leadership qualities were evident during his playing days at Old Dominion (2012-16) where he served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and helped the Monarchs reach new heights on the court. During his senior season, ODU strung together 12-consecutive victories on the way to a 21-5 mark and runner-up finish in the Conference USA tournament. The team climbed as high as No. 28 in the national rankings and finished the year among the top-50.
During the summer months, Glavin sharpened his coaching skills as an assistant tennis pro at the Wee Burn Country Club in Darien, Conn. (2014 and 2015). From 2016-18 he was head tennis pro at Shore and Country Club.
Glavin earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from ODU in 2016.
He and his wife, Rachel, have two children, Ollie and Owen.
THE GLAVIN FILE:
Collegiate Coaching Experience:
2022-Pr. – Wichita State—Head Coach
2020-22 -- Miami (FL) – Assistant Coach
2019-20 – Delaware – Assistant Coach
2017-19 – Princeton – Volunteer Assistant
Playing Career:
2012-16 – Old Dominion
Education:
B.S. in Business Administration – Old Dominion (2016)
Birthdate:
Mar. 9, 1993
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GLAVIN...
“Congrats to Wichita State for their selection of Darragh Glavin. He is a tireless worker and will continue to build on the program’s success. I’m certain he will foster meaningful relationships on campus and the entire community. Darragh’s approach to principle-centered leadership and his ability to attract top recruits bodes well for Shocker tennis.”
--Billy Pate, Head Men’s Tennis Coach, Princeton
“Darragh is an outstanding coach and will surely lead Wichita State to prominence. He has one of the best young minds right now in College Tennis and I have no doubt he will bring in top talent and develop his players to reach that next level”.
--Pablo Montana, Head Men’s Tennis Coach, Delaware
“I have known Darragh for a long time. He has grown into a great tennis coach, but more importantly into a coach that leads his players by example of hard work, integrity, and loyalty. He is one of the top young coaches, and will do wonderful things as a head coach of the Wichita State men’s tennis program. I look forward to following his career, and cheering him on from the distance.”
--Aljosa Piric, Head Men’s Tennis Coach, Miami (FL)
