Winning attitudes, Christ-like behaviors and close bonds are all things new tennis head coach Josh Grubbs hopes to build as tennis re-enters the athletic scene for Taylor.
With plans to build and shape the team during the 2024-2025 season, he has the opportunity to use his prior tennis experience and coaching opportunities to help make the Taylor program something special.
When recruiting, coach Grubbs plans to incorporate the key values of Taylor, including viewing his players as more than athletes.
“I plan on viewing my players as students first and athletes second,” Grubbs said. “I want them to come in with the mindset of serving others, working hard, being coachable and teaching them that they represent God, Taylor University, our tennis program, their family and each other.”
Grubbs has the task of building the tennis roster to be competition-ready by the 2025-2026 season. Outside of skill requirements, hard workers and coachable players are his ideal athletes.
“I also want to recruit kids who can encourage and support their teammates because most successful teams have great team chemistry and aren’t selfish,” Grubbs said. “I’m really looking forward to leading a great group of men and women at Taylor and am excited to get started.”
Before his position at Taylor, Grubbs had a successful high school career that led to opportunities at the next level. A collegiate athlete himself, he played singles and doubles tennis for Bethel College as a two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete and won 39 singles matches and tied the program record of 57 doubles wins.
As an athlete and a coach, he has maintained relationships with players and coaches throughout the Crossroads League that have helped him to understand the players, culture and teams in the CL.
His undergraduate degree in sports studies, he said, enables him to better understand what it takes to be a collegiate athlete and lead a program well.
“I chose this career because I knew I wanted to be involved in sports and help student/athletes reach their full potential in their sport,” he said.
Before Taylor, Coach Grubbs built up the girls and boys tennis programs at Leo High School from 2011 to 2023, where he earned 307 wins. He claimed several accolades with the Lions, including District Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2016, a trip to the Indiana State Championship in 2015, two regional championships, and three sectional championships.
Coach Grubbs said the program took a few years to build and adjust, but the result was worthwhile.
“It was such a rewarding experience to watch these teenagers grow not only on the court, but off the court as well as leaders,” he said.
Off the tennis court, he said that family has helped develop his coaching style. As a husband to Abby and a father to his two sons, Brandon and Jordan, he is excited to experience Taylor with them.
“Being a parent has helped me develop my coaching style because I understand what young athletes go through and I am now able to help navigate life with them,” he said. “My wife is also a health & nutrition coach and getting certified in sports nutrition so I have a better understanding of what it takes to perform at optimal levels.”
Coach Grubbs said he’s excited to build the team into a winning program that will fit well with the Taylor community.
