By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Bryce Parmelly, who has coached at the NCAA Division III level since 2005, has been hired as the head coach of women's tennis at Willamette University. He follows Becky Roberts, who retired from Willamette this spring after 17 seasons as the head women's tennis coach for the Bearcats. He will begin his duties at Willamette immediately.
Parmelly, who spent the past two seasons as the assistant men's tennis coach at Middlebury College (Vt.), was the head men's tennis coach at the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2011-12 and 2012-13. He previously served as the assistant men's tennis coach at UC Santa Cruz from 2005-06 through 2009-10.
"We are very excited to have Bryce join our coaching staff," Willamette Director of Athletics Rob Passage said. "He brings to Willamette a wealth of experience working with successful D3 tennis programs."
Earlier this year, Parmelly was chosen as the NCAA Division III National Assistant Coach of the Year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) for the 2016-17 season. He was the West Region Assistant Coach of the Year while at UC Santa Cruz in 2008-09.
"Throughout the interview process, I was convinced that coaching at Willamette University was a fantastic fit for me," Parmelly said. "The Athletic Department itself has come across as close-knit and extremely supportive, and one that I am eager to be a part of. I am thrilled to accept this position and look forward to building a truly special program for the student-athletes at Willamette."
In his two seasons at Middlebury, he helped the men's team achieve a combined record of 39-6, including two trips to the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Tournament and two NCAA Tournament berths. The Panthers won the NESCAC Tournament title and reached the NCAA Championship match in 2015-16, and advanced to the NCAA semifinals in 2016-17. Players from Middlebury won the NCAA singles and doubles titles in 2016-17, while a doubles team for the Panthers fell in the NCAA title match in 2015-16.
Parmelly helped coach four singles players and two doubles teams at Middlebury to ITA All-America status. In addition, Middlebury athletes won ITA Fall Regional championships in singles and doubles in 2016, with the singles winner advancing to the national championship match. This year, all 11 members of the team earned ITA Scholar-Athlete recognition and the squad received the ITA Team Academic Award.
As a head coach at UC Santa Cruz, Parmelly led the men's team to national team rankings of #9 in 2011-12 and #12 in 2012-13. During the 2011-12 season, he guided the Banana Slugs to the ITA Indoor National Championship match and to the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament. UC Santa Cruz also received the ITA National Team Sportsmanship Award for all divisions that year. In 2012-13, he coached UCSC to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. As the head coach, two of his singles players and one doubles team earned ITA All-America honors.
During his five seasons as an assistant men's tennis coach at UC Santa Cruz, the Banana Slugs won NCAA Division III national championships in 2006-07 and 2008-09. UCSC won ITA indoor national titles in 2006-07 and 2009-10, to go along with runner-up finishes in 2005-06 and 2007-08. Parmelly helped coach a player to the NCAA singles championship in 2006-07 and helped lead a player to the ITA Fall National singles championship in 2005. UCSC players claimed ITA Fall Regional titles in singles and doubles in 2008 and in singles in 2005.
Parmelly played tennis at UC Santa Cruz from 2001-02 through 2004-05. As a senior in 2004-05, he was a member of UCSC's national championship team (NCAA Division III) and received All-America honors from the ITA.
"He truly understands what it means to be a student-athlete at a school like Willamette and the important balance between academics, athletics, and other co-curricular activities," Passage noted.
Parmelly helped the Banana Slugs advance to the ITA Indoor Championship match in 2001-02 and 2003-04. As a player, Parmelly also won the ITA Fall Regional doubles title in 2004 and advanced to the championship match at the ITA National Tournament. He reached the ITA Fall Regional doubles final in 2003.
While competing at UC Santa Cruz in 2004-05, Parmelly was ranked has high as #2 in the nation in doubles by the ITA. As a team, UCSC was ranked in the top five in the nation at the end of the spring season during all four years that Parmelly played for the Banana Slugs.
