Jay Brennan is a self-taught tennis fanatic and is excited to use his life experiences to build a solid foundation of trust and a love of learning as Dickinson’s new tennis coach.

Brennan, who attended Southern New Hampshire University, Previously coached at Chestnut Hill College and University of the Sciences.

Brennan is a Philadelphia native but likes to spend as much time possible traveling and enjoying nature. He considers himself well traveled and spent a year with AmeriCorps after high school where he worked in Lynn, Massachusetts at a homeless shelter. Brennan said that this experience “really helped me mature and view life a different way.” He also has a background in journalism, but his true passion lies in tennis and coaching young athletes. 

Growing up, Brennan also loved basketball and baseball but “following the professional game of tennis and the crack of the racket hitting a ball” is what grounded his love for the sport. He played tennis in high school and found some success at tournaments, but put the racket down for a period after high school. He picked it back up once he started working at a tennis pro shop while coaching middle school, high school and eventually college teams. He has coached the teams at Chestnut Hill College and the University of the Sciences in the past.

During this virtual semester, Brennan has begun to connect with his players through individual zoom meetings and has enjoyed getting to know each of the players away from the court. Although he finds the online format “scary and a bit daunting,” he said  “An advantage of being online are one on one meetings. I feel that they clear the air and build bonds in a way that might not happen during a regular season,”

He feels that this semester changed the way he views his role as a coach but says that it is important to “not lose sight of reality, the players and their needs.”

Brennan has numerous goals for the team once a regular season is established. He wants to build a team culture as a program and believes that success begins with a bonded team and an atmosphere that promotes constant growth throughout an athlete’s collegiate career. Brennan also believes that creating that bond on the court stems from having strong doubles players, because being strong together means being strong as a single. 

Brennan’s personal goal is to make Dickinson an institution that is proud of their tennis program; although he’s aware that tennis coaches in the past haven’t committed long enough to see that goal come to fruition, he feels like tennis is “valued in this conference” and is ready to put in some work on the courts.