Austin Hale was named Missouri State's 12th head women's tennis coach on August 21, 2024.
Hale came to Springfield from the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kan., where he served as the first coach of the school's men's and women's tennis programs. In his two years with the Spires, he led the women's team to an appearance in KCAC tournament, a third-place finish in the conference standings and had two players named to the all-conference team. Hale also coached a player to NAIA All-American honors and a seventh-place finish in the Central Region.
"I am honored to join the Missouri State University family as the women's tennis head coach," Hale said. "I look forward to working with the talented group of student-athletes to create a championship culture that embodies the spirit of Missouri State. Our goal is to build a strong foundation of excellence both on and off the court, and I can't wait to get started."
Prior to his time at the University of Saint Mary, Hale worked as the assistant men's and women's coach at Missouri Baptist where he coached two players to a first team all-conference selection and two more to a second team selection. In 2021, Hale led a men's doubles team to a second-place finish at ITA Regionals.
Hale brings even more collegiate experience with a stint as a volunteer coach at Kansas City and an assistant coach at McKendree. His father, Kendell Hale, is the head coach at Kansas City.
Hale played collegiately at Missouri Baptist from 2015 to 2018 and graduated with a bachelor's in Behavioral Science and is currently pursuing a master's in Sports Management.
