Jeff Nevolo enters his seventh season (2025-26) with the Mustangs after being named head coach on July 3, 2019.
In 2024-25, Nevolo led the Mustangs in its first season as members of the ACC, going 12-14 overall and 4-8 in the conference dual matches. The Mustangs were ranked by the ITA as high has 46th during the season, but finished the year 50th. Nevolo produced SMU's first ACC Player of the Week performers, as the Mustangs swept ACC weekly awards on March 4, with graduate student Arianna Stavropoulos earning ACC Women's Tennis Player of the Week honors, Sophie Llewellyn winning ACC Freshman of the Week, and Llewellyn and Ellie Pittman securing ACC Doubles Team of the Week. The Mustangs first ACC win came in a 4-1 home win over Louisville on February 23.
In his fifth season on the Hilltop, Nevolo led his program to their second consecutive AAC championship in their 4-0 sweep over Memphis. The Mustangs then traveled to Stillwater, Okla. to compete in the NCAA Tournament. SMU defeated then-No. 33 Alabama — 4-3 — in the first round and were eliminated from postseason play in a valiant effort against then-No. 1 Oklahoma State University. The Mustangs earned three wins over ranked opponents with Nevolo being named the AAC Coach of the Year in back-to-back years. The season also included the AAC Championship Most Outstanding Player, Lana Mavor, AAC Player of the Year, Taylor Johnson, and two AAC All-Conference Selections.
In 2022-23, Nevolo led the Mustangs to their first AAC championship, defeating UCF 4-0 in the finals. SMU competed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, falling to Baylor 4-3 at the Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Texas. The Mustangs earned a 16-9 overall record defeating each of their conference opponents. The Mustangs recorded 11 total sweeps and won seven ranked wins. The Mustangs ranked as high as No. 32 in the ITA. Nevolo was named the AAC Coach of the Year for the first year since joining the AAC. The season included the AAC Player of the Year and four AAC All-Conference Selections.
In his third season at the program's helm, Nevolo guided the Mustangs to their eighth appearance at the AAC Tournament, and fourth-consecutive winning season since taking charge of the program. Three all-conference selections (Hadley Doyle, Jackie Nylander, Lexi Keberle) marks the first time the Mustangs placed three of their own on the All-AAC team, and first time three Mustangs were named all-conference selections in the same year since 2009 (Conference USA). Nevolo’s Mustangs took off on two separate four-match win streaks and notched six wins over ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) top-60-ranked programs, while achieving a national ranking as high as 36 – the highest team ranking the Mustangs had earned since 2011.
Nevolo finished his second season with a 21-10 record, as the 2020-21 team captured the most wins for the program since the 2010-2011 campaign. Nevolo's squad climbed as high as No. 38 and led this team to the conference semifinal. Jackie Nylander and Hadley Doyle were each named All-Conference unanimously, which marked the first time the Mustangs have had two conference selections since 2017. SMU secured the fourth most wins in the country.
In his first season on the Hilltop (2019-20), Nevolo led SMU to a 9-5 record (2-1 AAC) before the season was shortened due to COVID-19. He led the team, with only two seniors, to a 6-0 start, including shutout-wins against Colorado, Colorado State and McNeese. SMU made a trip to the prestigious Blue Gray National Tennis Classic, where they defeated Arizona and fell to Alabama by only one point. Nevolo coached the freshman duo of Jackie Nylander and Isabella Tcherkes Zade to a 10-3 record and No. 60 ITA ranking. Nylander also finished 10-3 in singles and was named the ITA Texas Region Rookie of the Year.
Nevolo came to SMU from South Carolina, where he was the Associate Head Coach for the women's tennis program from 2014 to 2019, and the 2018 ITA National Assistant Coach of the Year. In his five seasons at USC, the Gamecocks reached at least the NCAA Second Round each season. The 2019 team finished 23-4 on its way to the program's first SEC Tournament title and a spot in the NCAA Quarterfinals. The team had its highest end-of-season mark at No. 5 in the final ITA rankings. Over five seasons, Nevolo helped South Carolina student-athletes earn seven bids to the NCAA Singles Championship and three spots in the NCAA Doubles Championship. In 2019, the duo of Ingrid Martins and Mia Horvit reached the semifinals, matching the best doubles finish in program history. During his tenure, the Gamecocks garnered three singles and two doubles All-American honors. Nevolo was the ITA Carolina Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2018 in addition to earning the national honor at the conclusion of the 2017-18 season.
Before joining the Gamecock staff, Nevolo spent the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons as an assistant for the Air Force men's tennis program and was an assistant for the men's team at Alabama for a year prior to his stint with the Falcons. He started his coaching career at Ball State from 2009-11.
At Air Force, Nevolo was promoted to associate head coach prior to his second season. He then helped the Falcons to their first winning record since 2006, as Air Force finished the season with a 13-12 record and achieved its highest national ranking ever at No. 63 in late February. A 4-3 victory over 49th-ranked BYU early in the season marked AFA's first over a ranked team since Feb. 4, 2005. Air Force also won its first regular-season Mountain West dual match since 2003.
In his one season at Alabama, Nevolo helped Crimson Tide student-athletes Jarryd Botha and Ricky Doverspike advance to the round of 16 at the 2012 NCAA Doubles Championships.
Nevolo, a native of Gurnee, Ill., earned a bachelor's in sport administration in 2009 from Ball State. After graduating, Nevolo began his coaching stint for the Cardinals that fall as a volunteer assistant before being promoted to assistant coach the following year. During the spring, he helped Ball State capture the Mid-American Conference title for the first time since 2005, which gave the Cardinals an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. He also earned a master's degree in executive development for public service from Ball State in 2011.
Aside from coaching at Ball State, Nevolo was also a tennis teaching professional at The Bridgewater Club in Carmel, Ind., and the Muncie Family YMCA in Muncie, Ind.
He and his wife, Diana, were married in July 2013 and have a daughter, Leah and a son, James.
"I was lucky enough to have him as a coach and mentor for all four years of college, and he's been someone who has done anything and everything in his power to help me reach my potential as a player but even more as a person. I definitely would not be who I am today if it weren't for his guidance. He has the ability to help develop his players into the best version of themselves, and I'm so excited to see him take this new program to new heights the way he did for ours!"
--Paige Cline
University of South Carolina All-American
"Jeff is among a new generation of coaches who understands the modern athletics landscape and the overall student-athlete experience. His student-athletes will thrive in the upbeat and educational atmosphere he will create at SMU. I'm so proud that my alma mater has decided to hire one of the very best in the business, proving that it has chosen a trajectory that will compete at the top levels of collegiate tennis in the near future."
– Kevin Epley
University of South Carolina, Women's Tennis Head Coach
SMU Alum
"SMU got a great one with the hiring of Jeff Nevolo. I have gotten to know Jeff well on the recruiting trail. He is a tireless worker and a great guy to be around. He will work hard wherever he goes and is definitely ready for this challenge. I can't think of a better person to lead The SMU Women's tennis program than Jeff, and I am excited to watch him take the program to new heights."
-Ronnie Bernstein
University of Michigan, Women's Tennis Head Coach
"Jeff is unquestionably one of the rising stars in the coaching ranks. It was a pleasure working with Jeff eight years ago, and it was evident then he was one of the brightest minds in coaching. He's a tireless worker with a clear vision for player development and producing championship teams for SMU. In addition, Jeff is an incredible leader with a high energy, and a dynamic personality that makes him among the best recruiters in college tennis. His teams will represent the university with class both on and off the court. SMU supporters should be exited for what lies ahead."
-Billy Pate
Princeton University, Men's Tennis Head Coach
