Detwiler, Ness ODAC Coaches Of Year

David Detwiler, head men’s tennis coach and director of the Duchossois Tennis Center at Washington and Lee University, was selected as the 2024 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year in voting conducted by the league’s coaches last Wednesday. Erin Ness, head women’s tennis coach and senior women’s administrator at W&L, was selected as the 2024 ODAC Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year.

Detwiler guided the Generals to a 17-8 overall record in 2024, including a perfect 9-0 mark in conference play. The Generals were 28th nationally in the final Division III regular season ranking, claiming their 14th-straight ODAC title and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. W&L’s season ended with a 5-2 loss to 13th-ranked Sewanee in the NCAA Tournament round of 32.

Detwiler has led the Generals to a conference title 22 times in his 23 seasons, registering six ODAC Coach of the Year Awards during his tenure. He is the program’s all-time wins leader, holding a 365-153 (.705) overall record, including a 200-2 (.990) regular season record against conference opponents.

Detwiler has been a member of the W&L faculty since 1997. He holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Furman University.

Under Ness’s direction, W&L completed the season with a 21-2 overall record and a perfect 10-0 mark in conference play. The Generals were 12th nationally in the final Division III regular season ranking, claiming their 21st-straight ODAC title and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Blue & White won its opening match in the tournament over the University of Texas at Dallas, before falling to seventh-ranked Johns Hopkins University in the Round of 16.

Ness has led the Generals to a conference title 11 times, registering eight ODAC coach of the year awards during her tenure. She holds a 217-63 (.775) overall record over her 12 seasons at W&L and has never lost a match to a conference opponent (120-0 in the regular season).

Ness has been a member of the W&L faculty since 2012. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is currently working toward a master’s degree in kinesiology and sports psychology from San José State University.