LSU has a wide array of dominant athletes that go unnoticed by fans, especially in less popular sports.
Danny Bryan, who was hired as the new head coach for LSU’s men’s tennis, is one of those athletes. His list of trophies and accomplishments extends far beyond his coaching career thus far, and his success as both a player and a coach could turn LSU into a tennis powerhouse.
Born in Lafayette, Louisiana, Bryan’s father and uncles both played tennis for the University of Louisiana Lafayette, and his sister played tennis for Ohio State. He followed in their footsteps, growing up in New Orleans and playing tennis for Brother Martin High School.
For Bryan, tennis came naturally.
His success was visible early, as he was the No. 1 player in Louisiana and top 10 in the nation for five straight years, winning two state championships at Brother Martin and two team MVPs. From there, Bryan was on his way to becoming a Tiger.
“Once I took my visit here, the combination of the coaching staff, who I really clicked with, and then I also fell in love with LSU on the visit,” Bryan said about his decision to play for LSU. “It was a very easy decision to come here.”
An easy decision turned to destiny, and Bryan quickly showed his talent on a collegiate level for the Tigers. Bryan boasted a variety of impressive honors in his four years at LSU, reaching a height of No. 6 in the nation in doubles and No. 40 in the nation in singles.
He was named an ITA Doubles All American in 2007, as well as three time First-Team All-Louisiana, SEC Indoors Doubles Champion and LSU Male Volunteer of the Year.
Bryan’s career as an LSU player was full of achievements and success, something that would foreshadow his return to Baton Rouge. After a short stint on the pro tour, Bryan returned to LSU as a graduate assistant under legendary tennis coach Jeff Brown. Not long after, he was offered the job as an assistant coach under Brown, and from there his future was cemented.
For eight years, Bryan stayed as an assistant coach for LSU, winning the 2013 Southern Region Assistant Coach of the Year. Eventually, Bryan left Baton Rouge and was named head coach of Wichita State.
A school with a limited tennis history, Bryan transformed the program in his short time there, taking them to the NCAA Tournament in 2021, and developing two All Americans, the school’s first since 1983.
His success as a head coach for the Shockers earned him a place back home with the Tigers, but this time as head coach. In 2022, Bryan was named new head coach of the LSU men’s tennis team, claiming there was no place he would rather go.
“We loved it [at Wichita St]. It was to the point where, unless the LSU job was open, I felt like we got things going in the right direction and we might not ever leave. But once the LSU job came open, it was my dream job,” Bryan said.
Bryan has found success at all levels: as a player, as an assistant, and as a head coach. He has coached some of the best current players, including two-time Wimbledon champion Neal Skupski, and has been a student under one of LSU’s greatest coaches in Brown.
“Coach Brown gave me a lot of opportunities to make a lot of decisions as an assistant. I learned a lot. As the head coach at Wichita St, I learned a lot of different things you don’t as an assistant. I’m fortunate Coach Brown let me have a lot of involvement in all aspects of the program,” Bryan said.
Bryan attributes his success in coaching to his time as a player as well. Having experienced the exact scenarios many of his players are in, he finds it helpful to know what they go through.
“I still remember some of those feelings you have on the court. Hopefully I can use those experiences and help the players in a positive way. I think it helps from those experiences for sure,” Bryan said.
With this year being his first season as head coach, there is a lot to look forward to in the future from Bryan.
“The season so far has been solid. We have one returning starter from last year in Ronnie Hohmann, and we’re building. We’ve had some good wins against Miami and Tulane, and I think as a team we’re growing,” Bryan said.
LSU has added No. 48 Alabama to the list of wins recently, marking its first win in the SEC after tough losses to top 10 ranked teams South Carolina and Georgia. The season is far from over, and Bryan is optimistic for the matches to come.
“The guys are gonna keep fighting. I think we’ve proven we can play good doubles, and I think we can sneak out some wins that aren’t expected on paper. The high end of our lineup can play at a very high level, so we’re looking to just keep getting better,” Bryan said.
LSU is currently ranked No. 44 in the nation and improving. The Tigers look to have finally hit their stride in the SEC after a disappointing start to conference play, and fans can hope for the best as they edge closer to the end of the season.