Tanner always had the goal of becoming a college coach. With that goal in mind, he chose Mississippi State as his four-year home base. There he firsthand experienced how to take an “unrated” program to the top 25, which gave him crucial experience for the journey ahead.

He got his start at Middle Tennessee State University where he won a conference championship in his first year as an assistant coach, followed by the highest national ranking in a decade (N 35) the following season. He then moved to Furman University to work with Kelly Jones (former N 1 Doubles ATP) for a one-season stint and helped the Paladins to the conference title game. That summer, Tanner was given the opportunity to return to his alma mater and spend the next two years coaching at Mississippi State. The team achieved top 25 rankings in both years, culminating in a Sweet 16 run with 7 players he had recruited in one season! That put him on the map to then get the offer to coach at the University of Florida.

In 2016, Tanner began his 6-year tenure at UF, which included the first men’s tennis national title in 2021, 3 SEC regular season championships, 1 SEC tournament title and 2 individual singles national championships. During his tenure, Tanner was able to entrench himself as a top recruiter, with multiple N1 ranked classes.

In 2022, Tanner quit coaching to spend more time with his growing family, including his wife Chelsea and their three children. This led to his arrival aboard Slamstox, where he can use his experience and knowledge about recruiting to help prospective students around the world. When not thinking about tennis, Tanner enjoys playing games with his children, woodworking projects and any kind of sport.

Want to meet Tanner or hear his story? Feel free to send him a message!