Since Jeff Brandes took the helm of Drew's men's and women's tennis program in the summer of 2005, he has built both programs into conference powerhouses. Already familiar with the program after serving as the Rangers' assistant coach from 2002-2004, he has led the men's program to eight consecutive conference titles and the three NCAA Tournament appearances. The men's team is a remarkable 57-1 against conference opponents since he took over. In 2010 the women's team set a new program mark with 13 wins en route to its first ever Landmark Conference Championship.
For his efforts, Brandes was named the conference Coach of the Year by his peers four times including being honored for the men and women in 2009-10. In 2013, Brandes surpassed his former boss, Ira Miller for second all-time in men's wins. He moved into second place all-time on the women's side with 39 wins after an 8-1 win over Catholic for his 39th win on April 14, 2012.
A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Brandes has amassed over 15 years of coaching experience in a variety of settings. Upon graduating from URI with a degree in marketing, Brandes played some professional tournaments including the Canadian Airlines circuit. He then turned his focus to coaching some of the area’s top juniors and created the Pro Tough Tennis Academy at the Inman Sportsclub, where he was responsible for designing, marketing and managing the start-up academy. Brandes recently ran another high level academy with former Wimbledon quarterfinalist Colin Dibley in nearby Gillette, NJ.
As Drew's assistant coach, Brandes helped guide the men's tennis team to a 13-0 record and two conference titles and the women's team to a 9-3 record and its first ever conference title. While serving at Drew, he also continued his Director of Tennis positions at various nearby health and racquet clubs, gaining even more valuable teaching experience. He owns USPTA Pro 1 and USTA Level 1 Sport Science certifications.
