Lee Jennings has spent the majority of his adult life connected to the game of tennis. Since 1992 he has been the head tennis coach for Schreiner University, where he has continued the long-standing tradition of coaching winning teams. But it was in his teen years that he crafted an identity within the game.

In his early teens, Jennings’ father, Lee Sr., decided to move his family from their home in Austin to Kerrville in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Lee Jr. has many memories of growing up in Kerrville, “My mother was a teacher at Peterson Middle School, and my father was in the health care business and was on the city council for seven years including a term as the city’s mayor. Kerrville was very different then. In 1965, the bowling alley was the only hangout in town,” Jennings said.

Now age 54, Lee Jennings vividly remembers watching the 1968 U.S. Open. That year Arthur Ashe defeated Tom Okker in five sets to become the first African-American ever to win a Grand Slam event in tennis. Jennings, age 17 at the time, was so captivated as the match unfolded on his friend’s color television set that he decided to devote the rest of his athletic career to the game.

Two years earlier, Jennings had been befriended by Hill Country native Christopher Crawford who, in years previous to their meeting, had created a name for himself in the tennis world. By age 22, Crawford had won seven U.S. Junior titles, been ranked as high as the No. 2 Junior player in the world, appeared in nine U.S. Open tournaments, five Wimbledon tournaments and been a part of the winning Davis Cup team in 1961.

Jennings’ chance meeting with Crawford was at the Schreiner Institute tennis courts in the spring of 1966. While practicing one day, Jennings remembers watching as the wiry and energetic Crawford as he stepped out of his polished blue Corvette Stingray, and proceeded to hit flawless strokes on the opposite side of the practice wall. Crawford, in his 20’s at the time, agreed after considerable urging to help Jennings with his tennis.

In his junior year at Tivy High School, Jennings decided to hang up his football pads and trade in his basketball shoes permanently for a tennis racquet. By the end of Lee’s senior year his hard work had paid off, winning his district and region and qualifying for the state tournament.

Despite an offer to play tennis at the collegiate level for Southwest Texas State University, Jennings decided to return to Austin and attend the University of Texas. After leaving UT in 1974, Jennings spent time as a teaching pro in Austin, graduated from the Van Der Meer Tennis University and the Canadian Tennis College, and taught in Vermont in 1976 before returning home to Texas. He then became the assistant pro at Riverhill Country Club in Kerrville, and nine months later he was named head professional. Jennings became a certified member of the United States Professional Tennis Association in 1983.

Jennings married his wife Gwen in 1978. They have four children: Lance Lidiak (a former Schreiner player and graduate), 28, Kathryn, 24, Megan, 17, and Lee III, 13. “Any of my career accomplishments are due in large part to the support I’ve had from Gwen. She’s been the glue in our family and enabled us to manage the tennis center and coaching at the same time. I have truly been blessed with Gwen and our wonderful children.”

In 1982, Jennings took over as the director of tennis at the H.E.B. Municipal Tennis Center in Kerrville and since then has been motivational in the growth of the center, which has nearly tripled in size and has added changing rooms, lights and a pavilion.

Jennings brought that motivation and passion with him when he became the head coach for Schreiner in 1992. “Schreiner always had a tradition of producing quality teams and that has helped me in my recruiting over the years. Success breeds success. Players just wanted to come here and be a part of that tradition,” Jennings said.

In Lee Jennings’ 14 years at the helm of the tennis program at Schreiner, he has sent teams and individuals to the post-season 13 times including nine trips to the NAIA national tournament. “I guess I’m an old-school kind of coach. My team sport coaches in school and the men who took the time to help me learn tennis taught me about integrity and sportsmanship by their example, and that’s the kind of philosophy that I try to share,” Jennings said. “I think that’s what makes our teams special, we have an appreciation for each other and it helps us adapt as a team,” Jennings added.

In 2005, Jennings took his men’s program to the limit, going 6-1 in the American Southwest Conference (10-4 overall), but eventually losing in the semifinals of the conference playoffs. “Of all the teams I’ve coached, this team has had the best chemistry and work ethic. They are all truly dedicated to the game,” said Jennings. “I draw inspiration from the fact that they can perform so well on the court and also be so productive off, holding down jobs, making good grades and managing their time well,” added Jennings.

As a result of their hard work three Schreiner players earned All-Conference post-season awards. Freshman Christian Sasam was honored as one of three West Division Freshmen of the Year and was a First Team All-West Division selection, while senior teammate Garrett Parker was honored as the West Division Newcomer of the Year. Freshman Josh Schumann was named to the conferences’ postseason All-Tournament Team. As for Jennings, he earned his second West Division American Southwest Conference Coach of the Year award.

There are numerous ways to describe Lee Jennings: passionate, devoted, lucky and “old-school,” but when it comes down to it there is no secret to his success—he’ll just tell you, “It’s about how well we accept each other and adapt as a team while pushing each other to a higher level. But more than anything, it’s about loving the game and having a consistent day-to-day work ethic.”