Bobby Pennington

Named head coach of both the men’s and women’s teams in July 2006, Pennington has coached a Patriot League Player of the Year, two Rookie of the Year honorees and 25 All-Patriot League performers.

The Colgate men's and women's tennis programs have continued to have success in head coach Bobby Pennington’s second decade at the helm of the program.

Entering the 2018-19 season, Pennington has 226 total wins in his career between the men's and women's programs. On the men's side, he sports a 126-110 record and the team has five consecutive winning seasons. He has won 100 matches on the women's side.

Pennington was hired as the men's and women's tennis teams in July 2006. In his tenure with the program, Pennington has coached a Patriot League Player of the Year, two Rookies of the Year and 30 All-Patriot League performers. Seven different Raiders have also been named Patriot League Players of the Month during his time as the head coach.

Pennington has developed into one of the best tennis coaches in Colgate history, earning his 200th career victory with the programs during the 2016-17 season. He currently is third in men's tennis program history in wins and second in women's tennis program history.

Under the tutelage of Pennington, the men’s team won 15 games during the 2017-18 season the most for the program since 1998. The Raiders, who earned the three-seed for the Patriot League Tournament, advanced to conference semifinals for the first time since 2009. Additionally, the Raiders beat both Lehigh and Bucknell in the same season for the first time in nine years. For the fourth consecutive year Jacob Daugherty earned All-Patriot League honors, being named to first team, while newcomer Scott Bickel was named to the second team. On the women’s side, the Raiders beat Binghamton and George Mason for the first time in Pennington’s tenure. Led by second team All-Patriot League selection Mackenzie Deeter, the women’s team won their first Patriot League Tournament match since 2013, downing Holy Cross 4-0.

During the 2016-17 season, Pennington coached the men's and women's tennis teams to winning regular season records before finishing in the top five of the Patriot League standings. Pennington coached All-Patriot League First Team Selection Jacob Daugherty and Second Team selection Lauren Hyland.

Jacob Daugherty again highlighted the individual efforts by earning All-League First Team honors one season after being named Patriot League Rookie of the Year. Daugherty went 16-4 at No. 1 singles and partnered with Tom Hale to go 15-3 at No. 1 doubles. Pennington called the duo the “best doubles team in the league.”

The Colgate women went 8-11 in 2015-16, including a 2-3 mark against Patriot League foes. First-year Lauren Hyland’s outstanding debut season landed the Colgate rookie on the All-Patriot League Second Team. Hyland played the No. 1 position for the Raiders and was a part of 10 singles victories and 11 doubles triumphs.

The 2013-14 men's squad knocked off Navy for the first time since 2006 and Bucknell for first time since 2009. Individually, Gensburg became just the third player in Colgate history to earn All-Patriot League First Team honors all four seasons. A highlight of 2014-15 was an eight-match winning streak for the men that was the program’s longest since 11 in a row way back in 1996-97. The team’s 14 victories – highlighted by a 7-1 home mark – were the most of the Pennington era and most for a Raider men’s squad since 1997-98. Jacob Daugherty was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year.

The 2012-13 season saw Pennington coach the women to a great turnaround, finishing the year 12-6 and earning their seventh straight appearance in the Patriot League tournament semifinals. The women started the year with a seven-match winning streak and Kelsey Shea was named All-Patriot League Second Team. Pennington took over second place in Colgate women's tennis coaching victories and third on the men’s chart. Gensburg was named first team All-Patriot League for the third consecutive year.

In 2011-12, Gensburg was named first team All-Patriot League for the second straight year. The women finished third in the league and made the Patriot League semifinals for the sixth consecutive year. Pennington also recorded his 100th Colgate combined victory with a home win over St. Bonaventure.

The 2009-10 teams both finished in the top four in the Patriot League’s regular season, with the men knocking off eventual top-seed Army for the second straight year. Luke Gensburg in 2010-11 was the Patriot League Rookie of the Year after going 4-1 in conference play and 12-6 overall. The women reached the tournament semifinals for a fifth consecutive season and Pennington earned the Patriot League’s Award for Good Sporting Conduct.

Martin MacIntyre earned 2007-08 Patriot League Player of the Year for the men, while the women began 6-0 for their best start since 1993-94. MacIntyre repeated as an All-Patriot League First Team selection in 2008-09 when the men went 12-8 overall and finished second in the conference. Included was a victory over Army for the first time in seven years and advancement to the tournament semifinals. Elise DeRose earned an All-League First Team spot on the women’s side.

Pennington arrived on the Colgate scene in 2006-07 and immediately pushed both teams over the .500 mark. The men finished 11-10 for their best record in three years, and the women were 11-8 for their top mark in four seasons. The men’s team achieved a program first when three Raiders were named to the All-League teams.

Prior to taking the job at Colgate, Pennington spent two years as head coach of the men and women's tennis teams at Division III Juniata in Pennsylvania. In his two years with the Eagles, Pennington coached six All-Conference selections and two league rookies of the year.

During his time at Juniata, Pennington founded the Attack & Defend Tennis Camp. Acting as camp director, Pennington helped instruct 50 children of all ages and ability levels.

While earning his master's degree at Clarion University, Pennington acted as the assistant coach of the women's tennis team from 2002-04 and took a winless team to nine wins in just one year. He earned his degree in communications and mass media technology in 2004.

Outside of college tennis, Pennington has been the head tennis pro at Toftrees Resort and Conference Center and a rally ball instructor at Blair Racquet Club. Pennington also spent time coaching boys and girls tennis at Hollidaysburg Area High School in 2001 and 2002.

Pennington also is the director of the Colgate Nike Tennis Camps, which started in 2011, and has been a certified USPTR Professional since 2001. He is a former member of the ITA Division I Men’s Northeast Rankings Committee and a past member of the Hamilton Chapter of the Rotary Club.

During his collegiate student-athlete days, Pennington was part of "The Streak" – one of the most amazing dynasties in collegiate athletics. Pennington's alma mater, Kalamazoo College in Michigan, has won 78 consecutive conference men's tennis championships dating to 1936 (no titles presented during World War II).

Pennington was captain his senior season of 2001 and part of an All-America doubles team with partner Andrew Minnelli. He was a Rolex ITA finalist in the fall of 2000 and ranked in the top 20 nationally in doubles. Pennington and the Hornets advanced all four years to the NCAA tournament. During his freshman year he helped the team clinch the bronze medal with a doubles win over Emory. The following year, Kalamazoo finished second in the country. In Pennington's final two years with the Hornets, the squad finished with matching ninth-place finishes.

His wife, Jenny Sue Pennington, teaches nutrition courses as well as Zumba at Colgate. She was a snowboarding instructor and professional at Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid for seven years, and the couple met there in 2010. They now have two daughters, Mia Shanley and Parker Kaye, and a son, Clifford.