On Wednesday afternoon, Marist Athletics released a press release naming Nathaniel Horner the College’s new Director of Tennis.
The hiring put an end to a nearly two-month-long search for a new director following the dismissal of former director Deepak Sharma in July.
“I am excited that Nathan will join Marist to lead our tennis programs,” Marist Senior Associate Athletic Director of Student-Athlete Welfare Elizabeth Donohue said in the release. “His previous achievements and vision are great additions to two teams eager to win. We are all looking forward to our men’s and women’s tennis athletes flourishing in their student-athlete experiences under his guidance.”
According to the release, Horner comes to Marist after a successful stint as the head men’s and women’s tennis coach at Division III Grove City College, where he led the program to a 94-39 overall record. Most recently, the Grove City Women’s team won a 2023-2024 Presidents’ Athletic Conference title while advancing to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.
Prior to Grove City, Horner spent one season as the head men’s and women’s coach at the New Mexico Military Institute. He also played collegiately at Division III Bridgewater (Va.) College between 2016 and 2019.
Horner will look to turn the page for Marist tennis, with the men’s team coming off a semifinal elimination to second seed Quinnipiac in the 2024 MAAC Championship and the women’s team coming off a disastrous season that saw them go 2-22 overall and 0-6 in MAAC play.
Edited by Marley Pope and Luke Sassa
Photo credit: Marist Athletics