Tripp Case has been named the new men’s and women’s tennis coach at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. Case was most recently an assistant at the school and replaces Dana Hale, who led the program for five years.

A native of Hattiesburg, Case played tennis at Co-Lin from 2016-2018. He was a team captain for former coach Brenda Smith during that time and helped the Wolves reach the 2018 NJCAA National Tournament.

“It’s an honor to coach at my alma mater and I am so excited for what’s in store,” said Case in a release from the school announcing his hiring. “We’ve got a special group of players coming to campus in August. Our sophomores are more motivated than ever to get back to Nationals, and our freshmen are ready to work hard. These teams have a ton of potential and will set the tone for our program’s culture.”

Case worked as an assistant coach on the high school level at Lafayette High and Sacred Heart Catholic earlier in his career.

A graduate of Ole Miss, his first job on the collegiate level was at Alcorn State prior to his return to Wesson.

The 2024 women’s tennis team at Co-Lin finished 12-6 overall. They earned a spot in the NJCAA Division I National Tournament in Tyler, Texas and finished 16 out of the 28 team field.

“We are excited to have Tripp head our tennis programs,” said Co-Lin Athletic Director Bryan Nobile in the release. “His hard work and passion for the sport is unmatched. Being a former player here at Co-Lin, he understands the expectations of his players on and off the court.”

International talent is a huge part of building a tennis program at the MACCC level in state and at the national level in the NJCAA.

Co-Lin had three women’s players this year from outside the US in freshmen Yariange Bello (Caracas, Venezuela), Camila Mordiz (Caracas, Venezuela), and Abril Neto (Cantanhede, Portugal).

Mordiz reached the semifinal round of the consolation bracket in No. 2 singles at the national tournament.

The CLCC men finished 13-8 in 2024 and also made an appearance at the national tournament as theirs was played in Plano, Texas.

Like their female counterparts, the CLCC men were led by a trio of international players in freshman Francisco Miquel (Bogota, Colombia), sophomore Valentino Millimaci (Rafaela, Argentina), and sophomore Arne Sohmer (Cologne, Germany).

Sohmer made history, becoming the first Co-Lin men’s tennis player to win a back-draw championship, by defeating Joan Mateu Ramis Pascual of Itawamba in the Flight 2 Consolation Championship in Plano.

Sohmer was a transfer from Alcorn State who’d played for the Braves when Case was an assistant in Lorman.

Millimaci has signed to continue his tennis career at Delta State while Sohmer inked a scholarship to next play at Cumberland University.

The Co-Lin men finished 18 out of 29 teams at the national tournament.