Written by Gina Cielo
Tennis Coach David Elliott holds the record for being the longest tenured coach in Harding’s history, coaching men’s tennis for 38 years and the women’s program since it began 19 years ago.Elliott began coaching at Harding when he was 26 years old, but before his coaching career began, his own tennis career had to come to an end.Picking up a racquet for the first time in seventh grade, Elliott said he knew he had a strong desire to play tennis. When he came to Harding in 1965, Elliot joined the tennis team, earning many awards during his four years. He graduated with a kinesiology degree and went directly to Harding Academy to begin a tennis program.After four years at the Academy, Elliott accepted a position as head tennis coach at Harding. Receiving many offers along the way, Elliott said Harding is where he is meant to be and has “never looked back” from the moment he accepted the job.Since accepting the position, he has coached more than 600 players and helped them win more than 1,100 matches. He has won 10 conference championships and has outlasted four Harding athletic directors.With coaching many different kinds of players, Elliott said he has noticed a huge change in their attitudes as the years have progressed.”Kids now are much more coachable and much easier to deal with than any other period of my coaching,” Elliott said.Elliott said that his greatest point of emphasis on players is that they treat each other, as well as their opponents with respect.Karina Swindle, former Harding tennis player and current assistant coach, said she has learned many lessons from Elliott and is thankful for the numerous opportunities he gave her as a foreign student from Brazil.”He taught me that it doesn’t matter what mood you are in, when you get out on the tennis court, you do your best,” Swindle said.Swindle is not the only one thankful for Elliott. Harding tennis player Henrique Ruiz said he is grateful for the years of experience Elliott has had before becoming a coach.”It is very obvious that Coach talks from experience and he coaches from heart,” Ruiz said.While Elliott has made a strong impact on his players, he said his players have also impacted his life, adding that through the years he has learned a tremendous number of life lessons from coaching.Elliott said he feels blessed to be a part of Harding University and is thankful for the administration’s support throughout his whole coaching career.”I have been lucky to be healthy and lucky that they put up with me for this long,” Elliott said. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”Elliott said he is still young at heart and will continue to coach for as long as he can, but he knows this chapter will eventually come to an end.
