University of Georgia Athletics
‘The Privilege Of A Lifetime’
February 28, 2024 | Men's Tennis, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Ask anyone that spends any time around Jamie Hunt and they'll tell you that he is one of the nicest, most positive people they know.
"He would never get angry, even when we teased him as a freshman," said John Isner, Hunt's teammate on Georgia men's tennis' 2007 team that went undefeated. "He always did everything with a smile on his face, even when he had every right to be angry. It's a real admirable quality of his."
Behind that smile and warm personality, however, is an intense competitor.
"Fiery," is how Georgia head coach Manuel Diaz described Hunt as a player. "He was fiery, but not in a bad way. He was very positive and conscientious in his preparation. He got every bit out of his talent and he competed in a manner that made you proud, win or lose."
Both traits, the niceness and the super competitiveness, have stayed with Hunt during his 14 years as a coach, including the past seven as Georgia's associate head coach.
"Jamie's just so committed to Georgia and the culture of this program," said junior Miguel Perez Peña. "He's probably the hardest working coach that I've ever known. He's willing to spend hours on the court with you.
"He always brings that good energy, regardless of what's happening. He might have problems, he might be tired, but he's always bringing the energy and the intensity, and I think that's something that's unmatchable."
Last week, Diaz announced that this season will be his last as the Bulldogs' head coach. He's one of the greatest coaches in collegiate tennis history, with an SEC-record 771 wins (and counting), six NCAA team titles, two ITA National Indoor championships and 29 SEC titles. On Tuesday, Georgia announced that Hunt will take over as the Bulldogs' coach at the end of the season.
"This is the privilege of a lifetime," Hunt said. "I'm so honored and humbled to be third coach in this storied program's history. It's just incredible.
"We've got a lot of work ahead of us to keep this tradition going, and that's my goal, to build on the success that we've had and continue to make our fans and lettermen proud."
An All-SEC player all four years (2007-10) and an All-American in 2009, Hunt's 238 total wins (singles and doubles) rank third all-time at Georgia. As a freshman, Hunt was a key part of the Bulldogs' undefeated run to the 2007 NCAA team title, and he was crucial to Georgia's second title in a row in 2008.
About midway through his Georgia playing career, Hunt said, he started thinking about coaching. And when he was done playing, he was immediately hired by Vanderbilt as an assistant. Seven years later, when Diaz was looking for a new associate head coach, Hunt was the obvious choice.
"When the opportunity came to hire someone, he was the perfect person," Diaz said, adding that he had Hunt in mind as his successor when he made the hire. "I wasn't at the time thinking I'm going to retire in the next couple of years, but I thought that this would probably be my last hire as an assistant. I thought that would lead to him being a perfect candidate for the future."
Hunt has twice been named the ITA Regional Assistant Coach of the Year, and he continually has a positive impact on Georgia's players.
"I think he connects with our student-athletes on so many levels," Diaz said. "He has a magnetic personality, just always a smile; he makes our guys feel very welcome, and the guys want to work for him."
Hunt will be Georgia's third head coach in program history, since 1955. Dan Magill built the program into a powerhouse, winning two NCAA titles, and then passed the reins over to Diaz after the 1988 season. And Diaz over the past 36 years has lifted the program higher and higher.
There's pressure in taking over for one of the best to ever do it, but Hunt wouldn't have it any other way.
"It's definitely a 'pressure is a privilege' type of thing," he said.
Hunt could have pursued head coaching opportunities elsewhere in the past few years, but he "wasn't interested in being any place other than here," he said. "This is home, this is where I've always wanted to be. I'm glad it worked out."
Originally from San Antonio, Hunt wasn't in Athens long before he knew he'd found his place and his program.
"The day that I stepped on campus for my unofficial visit, I fell in love with this place," he said. "It felt like home, and every day that I was here since then, my love for UGA and Athens has only grown."
Staff Writer
Ask anyone that spends any time around Jamie Hunt and they'll tell you that he is one of the nicest, most positive people they know.
"He would never get angry, even when we teased him as a freshman," said John Isner, Hunt's teammate on Georgia men's tennis' 2007 team that went undefeated. "He always did everything with a smile on his face, even when he had every right to be angry. It's a real admirable quality of his."
Behind that smile and warm personality, however, is an intense competitor.
"Fiery," is how Georgia head coach Manuel Diaz described Hunt as a player. "He was fiery, but not in a bad way. He was very positive and conscientious in his preparation. He got every bit out of his talent and he competed in a manner that made you proud, win or lose."
Both traits, the niceness and the super competitiveness, have stayed with Hunt during his 14 years as a coach, including the past seven as Georgia's associate head coach.
"Jamie's just so committed to Georgia and the culture of this program," said junior Miguel Perez Peña. "He's probably the hardest working coach that I've ever known. He's willing to spend hours on the court with you.
"He always brings that good energy, regardless of what's happening. He might have problems, he might be tired, but he's always bringing the energy and the intensity, and I think that's something that's unmatchable."
Last week, Diaz announced that this season will be his last as the Bulldogs' head coach. He's one of the greatest coaches in collegiate tennis history, with an SEC-record 771 wins (and counting), six NCAA team titles, two ITA National Indoor championships and 29 SEC titles. On Tuesday, Georgia announced that Hunt will take over as the Bulldogs' coach at the end of the season.
"This is the privilege of a lifetime," Hunt said. "I'm so honored and humbled to be third coach in this storied program's history. It's just incredible.
"We've got a lot of work ahead of us to keep this tradition going, and that's my goal, to build on the success that we've had and continue to make our fans and lettermen proud."
An All-SEC player all four years (2007-10) and an All-American in 2009, Hunt's 238 total wins (singles and doubles) rank third all-time at Georgia. As a freshman, Hunt was a key part of the Bulldogs' undefeated run to the 2007 NCAA team title, and he was crucial to Georgia's second title in a row in 2008.
About midway through his Georgia playing career, Hunt said, he started thinking about coaching. And when he was done playing, he was immediately hired by Vanderbilt as an assistant. Seven years later, when Diaz was looking for a new associate head coach, Hunt was the obvious choice.
"When the opportunity came to hire someone, he was the perfect person," Diaz said, adding that he had Hunt in mind as his successor when he made the hire. "I wasn't at the time thinking I'm going to retire in the next couple of years, but I thought that this would probably be my last hire as an assistant. I thought that would lead to him being a perfect candidate for the future."
Hunt has twice been named the ITA Regional Assistant Coach of the Year, and he continually has a positive impact on Georgia's players.
"I think he connects with our student-athletes on so many levels," Diaz said. "He has a magnetic personality, just always a smile; he makes our guys feel very welcome, and the guys want to work for him."
Hunt will be Georgia's third head coach in program history, since 1955. Dan Magill built the program into a powerhouse, winning two NCAA titles, and then passed the reins over to Diaz after the 1988 season. And Diaz over the past 36 years has lifted the program higher and higher.
There's pressure in taking over for one of the best to ever do it, but Hunt wouldn't have it any other way.
"It's definitely a 'pressure is a privilege' type of thing," he said.
Hunt could have pursued head coaching opportunities elsewhere in the past few years, but he "wasn't interested in being any place other than here," he said. "This is home, this is where I've always wanted to be. I'm glad it worked out."
Originally from San Antonio, Hunt wasn't in Athens long before he knew he'd found his place and his program.
"The day that I stepped on campus for my unofficial visit, I fell in love with this place," he said. "It felt like home, and every day that I was here since then, my love for UGA and Athens has only grown."
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
Players Mentioned
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