Trinity College

Willy Nelson enters his second season as the Trinity College Head Men's Tennis Coach in 2023-24, earning the position full-time after serving as interim head coach last season.  Nelson is in his fifth season as a Bantam tennis coach, having spent three seasons as a men's and women's assistant coach prior to 2022-23. He was promoted to associate head coach of both programs in 2021-22.  A 2015 graduate of the College of Wooster, Nelson previously served as an assistant coach at Millsaps College, helping both the men’s and women’s programs to team rankings inside the top ten in the Atlantic South Region. Nelson's charge Henry Bilicic '24 was named to the 2023 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) All-Conference Team. Trinity had a top rank of 20 in the region in 2022.

Prior to Millsaps, Nelson served as a graduate assistant at Heidelberg University from 2016 to 2018, where he earned his master’s degree in business administration. Taking on the additional responsibilities of recruiting, strength and conditioning program, preparing and managing the budget, and running social media, Nelson received the “Graduate Assistant of the Year” award at Heidelberg University’s “Siggy Awards.” Between 2015 and 2018, he also had coaching stints with the Loomis Racquet Academy at Swarthmore College, and as a volunteer assistant at the College of Wooster.  A two-time captain at Wooster, Nelson started all four years for the Fighting Scots while earning a bachelor’s degree in geology. An All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Honorable Mention selection in 2013 and 2014, he accumulated the most wins on the team in his senior season.