Bio

Jennifer Kolins completed her 17th season in her second stint as the men's tennis coach at Western New England University in 2019-20. She served as the Golden Bears' coach from 2001-04 and returned to lead the program in 2008.

With a 146-109 career record and .573 winning percentage, Kolins ranks among the most successful coaches in the region. She notched her 100th career victory on the men's side on April 2, 2014, when the Golden Bears dispatched Anna Maria College, 7-2, in a non-conference match at home.

In addition to her coaching duties, Kolins is the co-coordinator and outreach coordinator of the school's highly-regarded NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Western New England Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) SAAC advisor and CCC Men’s Tennis Chair. She is also the co-advisor of the Civility Leadership Team, which is a group of concerned citizens from across campus that have come together to spread the message of civility, respect and sportsmanship on the WNE campus and in athletics.

The Golden Bears have qualified for the CCC Tournament in 12 consecutive seasons, including a semifinals appearance in 2011 when the team went 9-2 in conference play as part of a 14-5 overall record to set a school benchmark for victories in a season.

In 2019-20, the team was only able to compete in one match, during the fall semester, because of the cancellation of the spring games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In that one match, the Golden Bears secured a dominant 8-1 victory of UMass Dartmouth.

Kolins led the 2018-19 Golden Bears to one of their most successful seasons in program history. Western New England went 11-4 overall and 6-1 in CCC play, giving the team its highest win total (both overall and in CCC action) since 2010-11. The Golden Bears, who earned the second seed in the CCC Tournament, hosted a semifinal matchup and defeated Roger Williams to advance to the CCC championship match for the first time since joining the league in 2008. Four of Kolins' student-athletes garnered All-CCC recognition, including junior David Kalmer, who was named to the first team for both singles and doubles. 

Western New England started the 2017-18 campaign with a 7-2 record and eventually earned the sixth seed in the CCC Tournament. Three of Kolins' student-athletes earned All-CCC accolades, including David Kalmer, who went 13-2 overall en route to All-CCC first team honors for singles and second team recognition for doubles. 

The 2016-17 Golden Bears closed out the regular season strong with five wins over their last six matches, clinching a CCC Tournament berth with a 5-2 victory over Curry. Freshman David Kalmer and sophomore Justin Kohut were both recognized as All-CCC performers at the conclusion of the season, with Kalmer earning second team honors. 

Western New England got off to a strong start in 2015-16, going 6-1 over its first seven matches. The Golden Bears finished the season at 8-7 overall (3-5 CCC), falling to Endicott in the CCC Quarterfinals.

Three of Kolins’ student-athletes earned All-CCC recognition at the conclusion of the season, led by senior captains Andres Otero and Alexander Sause, who were both named to the second team. Freshman Justin Kohut also landed on the All-CCC second team for doubles along with Otero following his successful rookie campaign. 

In 2014-15, Western New England was well-represented in the CCC postseason awards. PJ Nassar was the Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year joining former teammate Tyler Unwin who won the award during the 2013-14 season. Nassar also was selected to the CCC third team in doubles with partner Andres Otero, the junior who became the first WNE honoree to place on the first-team in singles in five years. Classmate Alexander Sause made all-conference singles for the third season in a row. In addition, Otero became the first WNE men's tennis Golden Bear ever to earn Eastern College Athlete Conference (ECAC) New England Division III co-Player of the Week (Apr. 5).

During the 2009-10 campaign, WNE posted a 9-9 record and tied for fourth in the conference with a 7-4 mark.

In 2008-09, WNE compiled a 7-8 record and a 4-5 mark in CCC action for sixth place. The Golden Bears advanced to the conference quarterfinals.
 
During the 2008 season, she guided Western New England to a 10-6 record, which included a 6-3 mark for fifth place in its first season as a member of the CCC.

Her teams captured a pair of Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tournament titles in 2002 and 2003, and established a then-school record for wins with a 12-3 mark in 2003.

When her women's squad defeated Western Connecticut on Sept. 19, 2005, it was Kolins' 100th all-time coaching victory.

She graduated from the University of Hartford in 1999 with a bachelor of arts degree in interpersonal and organizational communication. 

Kolins was a four-year member of the Hawks' women's tennis team and three-time team captain.
 
Kolins also was the recipient of the most valuable teammate, the Collegiate Athletic Essence of Passion, and the J.C. Penny Athletic Achievement awards at Hartford.
 
Previously, Kolins served as the tennis director and head teaching professional for 10 years at Crestview Country Club in nearby Agawam, Mass.

Jennifer Kolins' Men's Tennis Coaching Record (16 seasons)