Williams College Men's Tennis History

Men's tennis is one of the oldest intercollegiate sports at Williams having debuted in 1884.

The two men who have helped shape the face of men's tennis the most since the turn of the 20th century are legendary coach Clarence Chaffee and his protégé, Dave Johnson '71.

Nick Lebedoff '10

The tradition of tennis excellence at Williams will be forever linked to the arrival of the legendary Clarence "Chafe" Chaffee who coached tennis, squash and soccer from 1937 until 1970, except for the intrusion of World War II in 1943.

Chafe attracted outstanding racquet sport athletes whose talents easily qualified them for Division I – Ivy League – programs, but whose all-around athletic abilities and interest in the unique and extraordinary academic opportunities offered at Williams convinced them that a small school experience would allow them broader involvement in campus activities. That parade of great athletes to Williams continued under Dave Johnson who elevated the Ephs to a national presence in his 20 years of directing the tennis program.

Chaffee coached the Ephs for 32 years from 1938 to 1970 and he compiled a career mark of 177-103 (.632), while leading the Ephs to 19 Little Three titles, three New England team titles, four New England Doubles titles and three New England Singles crowns.

When the Torrence M. Hunt '44 Tournament Courts were dedicated in September of 1996 the Chaffee Tennis House became a central feature of the upgraded facility.

Johnson in 20 seasons at Williams (1976-77; 1990-2007) compiled an impressive record of 252-62 (.803) and won three NCAA Division III titles – 1999, 2001 and 2002. Under Johnson the Ephs qualified for 13 NCAA Tournaments out of a possible 14 and they advanced to at least the quarterfinal round in each of the last 11 years. Three of Johnson's teams finished second at the NCAA Championships – 1998, 2000 and 2004; one finished third (1997), and two more finished fourth (2000 and 2006).

Dave Johnson is one of only two Eph coaches to win three NCAA titles with the same team and 9 of his 13 NCAA teams finished in the top four in the nation.

The Ephs compiled a record of 38-12 (.760) in NCAA Tournament play under Johnson and Josh Lefkowitz '02 was the 2002 NCAA Singles Champion. Lefkowitz was also the ITA National Player of the Year in 2002.

Jeremy Weinberger '10

Johnson's Ephs won 11 consecutive NESCAC titles from 1993-2003 and his Ephs won the last 13 Little Three titles (15 overall). Twenty-three Ephs earned All-America honors under Johnson.

In 1998 Johnson was named the national Division III Coach of the Year and in 2001 he was the ITA Northeast Region Coach of the Year and in 2005 he earned NESCAC Coach of the Year honors.

In July of 2007 Dave Donn was tabbed as Dave Johnson's successor after an outstanding career as a player and a student-athlete at the University of Richmond. In two seasons asthe head coach of the Ephs donn comoiled a record of 31-10 and extended the Eph streak of consecutive NCAA Quarterfinals appearances to 13.

Dan Greenberg '08 was anmed head coach of the Ephs in June of 2009 making him arguably one of the youngest men’s head tennis coaches in NCAA play. Greenberg will coach three current Ephs who were his teammates during his playing days in seniors Nick Lebedoff and Jeremy Weinberger, and junior Ari Binder.

Upon graduating from Williams Greenberg was hired as an Assistant Pro at the Hollow Rock Racquet Club in Durham, NC, where he was also responsible for Junior Development. In the fall of 2008 he became a volunteer coach at the University of North Carolina where he helped plan and lead practices, provided on-court coaching and assisted with administrative duties for the Tar Heels. He worked under head coach Sam Paul a five-time Atlantic Coast Conference and four-time Regional Coach of the Year and with assistant coach Tripp Phillips who was a U.S. Open Doubles Semifinalist in 2006.

Dan Greenberg was an All-American twice in singles and once in doubles

Greenberg fashioned a stellar career at Williams that saw him graduate as the 2008 NESCAC Player of the Year and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Northeast Player of the Year. He twice earned All-America honors in singles (2006 & 2008) and also earned All-America recognition in doubles play in 2008 along with being named to the All-NESCAC Sportsmanship Team. As a sophomore Greenberg was also selected as the ITA National Player to Watch.

In the fall of his senior year Greenberg won the ITA New England title and advanced to the ITA National Small College Championships where he placed third.

Greenberg opened his Eph career by earning the NESCAC Rookie of the Year award. He played in the last dual match victory by the Ephs over Division I Dartmouth (4-3) on March 31, 2006, recording a straight set win at #1 singles. Additionally he collected First Team All-NESCAC Laurels his final three years, earning Second Team doubles honors in 2008.

While at Williams Greenberg majored in English, was a Class of 1960 Scholar, selected to read an original creative writing at Convocation and served as a Junior Advisor.

Schedule
The fall season has traditionally featured a limited number of matches, but now includes play in  the Middlebury Invitational, Dartmouth Shootout, along with hosting the ITA Northeast Regional Tournament.

From the end of the fall season until February 15, when formal spring team practice begins, Eph players organize themselves to workout and play indoors in Towne Field House.

A two-week spring break trip kicks off the season in March. In 2009 the Ephs will spend one week in Los Angeles and one in Atlanta playing other nationally ranked teams. Upon returning to campus the Ephs will play their competitive NESCAC schedule, regarded as the best Division 3 conference in the nation, currently boasting 6 teams in the national top 25.

The spring is geared towards challenging for the NESCAC title and earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament field.

Facilities
The Torrence M. Hunt '44 Tournament Courts feature 18 hard courts and in the winter months the Ephs utilize indoor courts at the Towne Field House to stay sharp. During the spring and fall seasons matches and practices are moved indoors to the Lansing Chapman Rink in inclement weather.

The Torrence Hunt Tournament Courts