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Danny Bryan Returns Home to Lead LSU Men's Tennis

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Danny Bryan Returns Home to Lead LSU Men's Tennis

Baton Rouge, La. – Danny Bryan, a former All-American and assistant coach at LSU who earned 2021 ITA Central Region Coach of the Year at Wichita State, has been named the head coach of the LSU Men’s Tennis program, Director of Athletics Scott Woodward announced Tuesday.

Bryan returns to Baton Rouge after six seasons at Wichita State. In 2021, he led the Shockers to their first NCAA at-large berth in a quarter-century and their highest final ranking (37th) since 1983.

“Danny Bryan has epitomized excellence at every stop in his tennis career, and we are thrilled he is returning home to Baton Rouge to lead our men’s tennis program,” said Woodward. “As a student-athlete and assistant coach, Danny elevated the standard for performance at LSU – in competition and in the classroom – and his success in six seasons as a Division I head coach is undeniable. He is going to have a transformative impact on our student-athletes and on the sport of tennis in Louisiana. There is no coach in the country with a better vision for the growth of our program, and we are incredibly excited to welcome Danny, Jade, and their children back home to LSU.”

“Returning to LSU to serve as the head coach of our men’s tennis program is a dream come true,” Bryan said. “My 14 years at LSU as a student-athlete and coach were some of the most meaningful and memorable times of my life. I grew so much as a person and coach during that time, and I’m thrilled to continue this journey I started in 2003. We are fully committed to building sustainable success and developing leaders on and off the court while competing for championships. My family and I cannot wait to return home to Baton Rouge and begin building an elite tennis program at LSU.”

A two-time team captain and four-year letterman for the Tigers from 2003-2007, Bryan tallied 194 wins in singles and doubles as a player at LSU, finishing his career among the program’s all-time wins leaders. He was an integral part of three Top-15 teams, reaching as high as No. 3 in the doubles rankings and No. 32 in singles. In 2007, Bryan earned ITA Doubles All-American and First Team All-SEC honors, winning the SEC Indoors Double title. A two-time All-SEC performer, he was the recipient of the 2007 ITA National Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award

Following one season as a student-assistant, LSU hired Bryan as an assistant coach in 2008. In eight seasons under head coach Jeff Brown, Bryan coached 10 All-Americans, 14 All-SEC selections, and 14 ITA Scholar Athletes, including 2009 SEC Player of the Year Michael Venus. Four times in Bryan’s eight seasons on staff, LSU finished in the top-30 nationally, and the Tigers reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament six times. In 2013, he was named the Southern Region Assistant Coach of the Year.

At Wichita State, Bryan lead the Shockers to 82 victories in six seasons, reaching in the NCAA Tournament in 2021 on the strength of a 15-9 record, five wins over ranked foes, and a ranking that reached as high as No. 29 during the season. The Shockers’ home victory over No. 22 Memphis in March of 2021 was the program’s first against a top-25 opponent in more than 35 seasons. Under Bryan, Murkel Dellien became the first player in Wichita State history to earn AAC Player of the Year honors in 2021, teaming with fellow All-American Marius Frosa to earn All-American honors. Dellien and Frosa reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Tournament in 2019 and earned the program’s first All-American honors since 1983.

Bryan is the only active collegiate coach with two former players ranked inside the top 20 in the world in doubles: Neal Skupski, who is currently ranked No. 12, and 13th-ranked Venus. A 2008 graduate of LSU, Bryan married former LSU gymnast Jade Jenkins on Jan. 2, 2010, and the couple have two children, Parker and Brooklyn.