AMHERST, Mass. — Amherst College Director of Athletics Don Faulstick has named Erin Ness, one of Division III's most accomplished and respected tennis coaches, as the new head coach of the Mammoths' women's tennis program. Ness joins Amherst after 14 seasons at Washington & Lee University, where she built a nationally recognized powerhouse defined by competitive excellence, academic achievement, and an unmatched standard of consistency.
Ness will take over the helm of the women's tennis program from Jackie Bagwell, who retired in June after 35 years.
"I'm very excited to welcome Erin to Amherst," Faulstick said. "Erin's experience and passion for developing student-athletes, her vision for building a championship culture, and her commitment to excellence on the court, in the classroom, and within the Amherst community made her an exceptional choice to lead our women's tennis program."
Ness arrives in Amherst with a 257-72 (.781) career record and a remarkable 140–0 mark in conference play at Washington & Lee — a streak of perfection that stands among the most dominant runs in Division III tennis. Under her leadership, the Generals captured 13 ODAC championships, advanced deep into the NCAA Tournament 13 times, and produced All Americans for 14 straight seasons.
"I'd like to thank Don Faulstick and the search committee for this incredible opportunity to lead the Amherst women's tennis team," Ness said. "I am thrilled to be the next head coach and to continue the success that Jackie Bagwell has had over the past 35 years. She has had a profoundly positive impact on her student-athletes lives and is someone I have a tremendous amount of respect for. I am excited to guide Amherst tennis to being one of the premier Division III programs."
Ness was named ODAC Coach of the Year 10 times, and was chosen as the ITA Atlantic South Region Coach of the Year in 2021. In addition to her coaching responsibilities at Washington & Lee, Ness served as Associate Professor of Physical Education and was appointed Senior Woman Administrator.
"I would like to thank Jan Hathorn at Washington and Lee for all of her support and guidance over the years to set me up for an opportunity like Amherst," Ness said. "Washington and Lee has helped me grow into the person and coach I am today and I am forever grateful for the memories and success I had there."
Ness came to W&L from the University of California-Santa Cruz, where she served as the head women's tennis coach from 2006-12. She led the Banana Slugs to the NCAA Division III Tournament three times, while mentoring her athletes to All-America honors a total of five times.
Her 2008, 2011 and 2012 teams all earned ITA All-Academic Team accolades and she was named the Wilson/ITA West Region Coach of the Year in 2011.In addition to coaching, Ness served as a physical education instructor at UC-Santa Cruz and served as the assistant director of the Nike Tennis Camps held on campus since 2004.
Ness was a four-year starter in both singles and doubles as an undergraduate at UC-Santa Cruz, serving as a team captain for her senior season.Twice she helped guide the team to the NCAA Tournament and she was a regionally ranked doubles player.
She earned a bachelor of arts in psychology in 2006 and is currently working towards a master of arts in kinesiology and sports psychology from San Jose State University.
