Dan Holden has been named the new Head Boys & Girls Tennis Coach at John Paul II High School, the fifth in school history.
Dan has dedicated the past 35 years to the world of tennis, with an extraordinary impact at every level of the sport. Most recently, he served as the Head Coach at Highland Park High School for 22 years, where his teams achieved remarkable success—capturing 18 UIL Team Tennis State Championships and 36 Individual UIL State Championships during his tenure.
Before his time at Highland Park, Dan held prominent positions across the tennis community, including Director of Elite Tennis at TBARM Racquet Club and Head Coach/Director of Tennis at both the University of Southwestern Louisiana (ULL) and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). His career reflects a lifelong commitment to developing champions on and off the court.
"I am humbled and elated for the opportunity Coach Teague has given me, a program that has seen so much recent success and for me to continue that journey is truly an honor. I am fully aware of the challenges and expectations that lie ahead and I gladly accept. I look forward to dedicating myself to make a difference in the lives of these young men and women," Holden said. "I'm very grateful to President Casey Buckstaff, Principal Danny Ledbetter and again Athletic Director George Teague for providing me with a chance to coach here."
"I appreciate and thank President Casey Buckstaff for all she has contributed to the growth and success of our tennis program, our students and JPII. Her, the administrative staff and board members are to be commended for their commitment to making our tennis program a winning one and one with relevancy". "With that, Dan Holden is a perfect fit for what we need moving forward here at JPII," said George Teague, John Paul II High School's athletic director. "He's hungry, he's passionate and he brings the much-needed energy and excitement to take the program to the next level."
Coach Holden holds a B.A. in Physical Education from Austin Peay State University. He is married to his wife of 35 years, Kelly and has two adult sons Thompson & Harris and is a proud Tennessean from Murfreesboro.
