Jacob Eddins was named as the head women's tennis coach at Wichita State on September 15, 2025.
In his first season at the helm of the Shockers, Eddins oversaw one of the most successful seasons in program history. The Shockers went 21-5, going 19-3 in the regular season and 8-1 against American Conference teams when including the conference tournament. Eddins' group was ranked as high as No. 24 in the nation during the season and was ranked in the top 40 12 times. Giorgia Roselli and Xin Tong Wang were ranked as high as No. 9 in doubles during the season, while Wang, Roselli and Theodora Chantava all were ranked in singles at different points during the season. The Shockers earned an at-large bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the 13th all-time appearance in program history, and first since 2018.
His team also accomplished a tremendous feat, winning 19 consecutive matches and breaking the program record for the longest winning streak of 17 set back in 2016. The Shockers completed an undefeated home campaign, going 9-0, and earned six wins against Power Four opponents. Wichita State players won five American Conference Player of the Week awards, the most the Shockers have had in a single season since joining the American in 2018.
Eddins coached three Shockers to all-conference honors in 2026, with Wang being named the American Conference Player of the Year, while also being a unanimous all-conference selection. Roselli and Chantava were also selected to the all-conference team, with Roselli also being a unanimous choice. The Shockers earned the No. 1 seed in the 2026 American Conference Championship, finishing as runner-up. It was the first time Wichita State reached the American Conference championship match in history.
In the fall, Eddins guided Wang and Roselli to the American Conference doubles championship on Oct. 26, defeating Charlotte’s Ni Xi and Sara Suchankova 6-4, 6-4. He also helped Roselli to a conference runner-up finish in singles. Eddins led the Shocker pairing to a fourth-place finish at the ITA Conference Masters Championship and an end-of-fall doubles ranking of No. 24.
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.
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