Westmont Tennis All-American Cade Pierson named coach | Sport

Five years at Westmont wasn’t enough for a women’s tennis program for Cade Pierson. The recent graduate has accepted an offer from Westmont Sports Director Dave Odell to continue his relationship with the team as an assistant coach.

Cade Pierson moves from an American player to Westmont head coach.

– Last year, Cade played as a fifth-year player, head coach Ellie Johnson said. “He was the captain of the team, but in a way an assistant coach. He was very interesting to compete as a player, but he also had a coaching perspective.

“Last fall he couldn’t compete, so in our regional tournament we chose him as a coach. It was good to see how the players treated him as a coach. He got a little taste of it and we had some great discussions on how to coach and communicate to different players.

“There have been several times when he has led rehearsals. When he told me what went well and what didn’t, he showed his ability to detect what a player needs to work tactically and technically.”

Pierson, who played at Santa Barbara High School before enrolling in Westmont in the fall of 2016, had expected to end his collegiate player career in the 2019-20 school year. However, the global COVID-19 pandemic abruptly ended his senior season. Because NAIA decided not to charge spring athletes for the shortened season, Pierson was able to stay an extra year at Westmont and compete again last spring.

A skilled student-athlete, Pierson was named twice NAIA All-American. Last year, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) selected him as NAIA National Senior Player of the Year.

“It’s an exciting honor,” Pierson said of the new assignment. “I have invested so much time as a player and captain. I love Westmont and I love our team. The opportunity to continue my tennis career at Westmont is a great blessing. I am grateful for the opportunity and am really excited to continue as a warrior and represent Westmont and help our tennis program grow to even higher potential.”

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