University of the Cumberlands Men's Tennis

Tan lettered 3 years as a tennis player and was named an Academic All-American. In 1988, upon completion of an M.B.A. in Business Administration from Tennessee Tech University, he was invited to return to Cumberlands as a faculty member for the Department of Business. One year later, in 1989, he was named Head Coach of Men and Women's Tennis. In 2011, Tan completed his doctoral degree in higher education from the University of the Cumberlands. He is now going into his 26th season as the Head Coach of the Tennis teams. Coach Tan says one of the most rewarding aspects of being a coach is seeing his players become champions, a reward he has enjoyed many times. Under his leadership, Patriot teams won the District 32 championship in 1993 and 1994; the KIAL in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996; the Mid-South Conference in 1998; and the KWIC in 1998 and 2000. Mr. Tan's excellence as a coach has also frequently been recognized. In 1993 and 1996, both the K.I.A.C. and District 32 honored him as Coach of the Year. The Mid-South Conference did the same in 1998 and 1999. Then in 2003, after his men's team won Region 11, he was named the Region 11 Coach of the Year. Coach Tan then lead that team to the Elite 8 at the NAIA National Tournament. In recent years, he has conducted nationwide tennis clinics in Malaysia, has served as Tournament Director for the SANEX-Malaysian Open and, in 1999, as coach of the Malaysian National Tennis Teams. Also, in 2007 he conducted a coaching clinic in Thailand. In the summer of 2008, Coach Tan ran 5 tennis clinics in Malaysia. Most recently, he conducted coaching clinics in Borneo. One of Tan's former players Yew Ming Si is was a former #1 ranked player in Malaysia. Si played in the Davis Cup and at one time was in the Top 800 in the ATP. Timur Akkaziez, another former player for Tan, was also a Davis Cup member for Kyrkystan. The latest addition to the Davis Cup category is with Ariez Heshaam. Ariez at one time was ranked #1 in Malaysia had featured for Malaysia in numerous international events including the David Cup. On the womens side, Coach Tan has the good fortune to have coached the #3 ranked team and 4 times All American in Nesha Thirumalaichelvam. Coach Tan comments, "UC is the perfect place to coach. We strive every day to meet the mission of the college and that is to be exemplary in all of our undertakings. We continue to attract very good people from all over the world into our program. Our latest teams include players from 10 different countries. I feel that I am a player's coach. I serve my players on and off the courts to ensure that they succeed. We ensure that all players are treated fairly and that each one is given an opportunity to contribute to the success of our program. The honor of working with some very good people who will humble you with their willingness to do their best is amazing." All players add to providing a UC ADVANTAGE for our program. Tan also added, "The day's works are long but the years are short. Enjoy your time here and be purposeful in your doings. Compete hard and fight till the last drop for your team. Make long lasting friends with your teammates. Learn to respect the sports you play and fall in love with it. Do always remember that you stand on the shoulders of those who came before you." You add to our UC ADVANTAGE. Coach Tan is married to wife Dr. Julie Tan, a Chemistry professor at the University of the Cumberlands. They have 2 children William (19) and Christian (14). William, at the age of 13 became the youngest qualifier for the K.H.S.S.A. Boy's State Tennis Tournament. Christian is an up and coming tennis player and he plays #1 for Whitley County High and he had qualified for the state tournament twice..