Former Tennessee associate head coach takes the reins of Mizzou tennis
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Mizzou women's tennis has its new leader.
On Tuesday afternoon, Tiger Athletics announced that it is naming former Tennessee associate head coach Robin Goodman as the new leader of the women's tennis program in Columbia. He will bring more than 10 years of Division I coaching experience to the role, as well as time as a Division I athlete.
“He brings proven leadership as a head coach, a deep understanding of what it takes to compete and win at the highest levels of college tennis and valuable experience in the SEC," MU Athletic Director Laird Veatch said in a press release. "Robin has built and elevated programs throughout his career, and his success developing student-athletes both on and off the court stood out throughout our search process. His experience leading a nationally respected program at Pacific, combined with his work inside the premier conference in the country at Tennessee, positions him well to launch our program into its next chapter.”
Goodman will join the Tigers after serving as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for the Volunteers for one season. He made the most of his time in Knoxville, too, helping Tennessee to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Vols ended the 2025-26 campaign as the No. 19 team in the country with a 14-10 overall record and an 8-7 mark in SEC play. In his role as recruiting coordinator, he also helped lock down a nationally recognized recruiting class, which included the nation's No. 29 overall prospect.
Before his time in Rocky Top, he spent five years as the head coach for the men's squad at Pacific, where he brought the program to the national stage. In his time there, Pacific sent a doubles team to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Championship in fall 2023. Then, in his third season at the helm, Goodman earned West Coast Conference Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Tigers to a 19-6 record and an appearance in the NIT Championship final.
In his final year with the Tigers, the squad made the WCC Tournament semifinal and climbed up to No. 49 in the national rankings.
“I’m incredibly honored and excited to be named the head coach at the University of Missouri. I want to thank Laird Veatch, the administration, and everyone involved in this process for believing in me to lead this program,” Goodman said in a press release. “Missouri is a special place with tremendous potential, and I’m passionate about building this program the right way. The Southeastern Conference is the premier conference in college athletics, and we embrace the challenge and opportunity that comes with it. I’m excited to get to work with our student-athletes, connect with alumni, and build relationships with the community. I can’t wait to build this program into something Missouri and the community can be proud of for years to come.”
Goodman has also made stops at New Mexico and Baylor in his coaching career, serving as an assistant coach with both programs.
The Cambridge, England native also comes to Columbia with playing experience of his own. He was a four-year athlete at Drake, serving as team captain for two of those seasons. During his time as a Bulldog, Goodman compiled 111 career singles victories and posted an .847 winning percentage. He was also a two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection and earned MVC Player of the Week honors three times, finishing his collegiate career with the fifth-most wins in program history.
Goodman graduated from Drake in 2014 with a degree in business management and later earned a master’s degree in sports administration from Baylor.
Goodman will be formally introduced to fans, staff and media at a welcome event Thursday, May 21 in the Columns Club at Memorial Stadium, starting at 3 p.m. The event is open to the public.
