Coaching Experience
• Head Coach, Flagler College (2014-present (men); 2015-16 (women))
• Assistant Coach, Barry University (2007-13)
Education
• B.S., Sport Management, Barry University, 2006
• MBA, Sport Management and Marketing, Barry University, 2007
Coaching at Flagler
Thomas Hipp served eight seasons (2020-21) as director of tennis at Flagler. This year will be his second as a volunteer assistant.
Hipp has posted a 88-85 overall record as the men's coach and was 35-18 as the women's coach.
This past season saw Hipp's Saints finish with a national ranking of No. 40, according to the final Oracle/ITA Dvision II poll. Hipp coached Nikita Tatyanin to a No. 31 national ranking in singles. Tatyanin and Philipp Lemken were selected to the All-Peach Belt Conference teams and Tayanin, along with Rasmus Jonsson and Cedric Holzmann, earned academic all-conference accolades.
In 2020, Flagler finished with a 7-5 record in the pandemic-shortened season and the team was ranked No. 7 in the final ranking. Luca Bolla earned ITA All-America honors in singles.
The Saints finished 16-8 overall in 2019 and tied for second in the Peach Belt with a 7-2 record. Flagler posted a 9-7 record against nationally-ranked opponents and finished the season ranked No. 7. Lukas Storck earned first-team all-conference honors while the doubles team of Storck and Felipe Carvalho took home second-team all-conference.
The 2018 Saints fell one match shy of advancing to the Round of 16, but the team won the most matches (19) since the 2000-01 season. Hipp coached the team to a final ranking of No. 9 by the ITA. Luca Bolla earned first-team all-conference honors in singles while the doubles team of Konstantin Dustmann and Lukas Storck received first-team all-conference accolades. Bolla was ranked No. 21 in the nation in singles while Dustmann/Storck were ranked No. 16.
The 2017 season saw the Saints one match away from advancing to the NCAA Division II National Championships for the first time. Lukas Storck earned all-conference honors and joined teammate Felipe Carvalho as an all-conference doubles team. Flagler finished ranked No. 11.
In the summer of 2013, he became the program's third head men's tennis coach in its 40-year history. In 2014-15, he became Flagler's sixth head women's coach in the program's history.
In 2016, Hipp directed the women's team to its third consecutive NCAA Division II Southeast Region appearance and was one win away from advancing to the final 16 in Denver. The Saints finished with a 21-7 record, the most wins the program has recorded since 2001. Lizanne Jinkertz finished ranked No. 28 by the ITA and she earned All-Peach Belt Conference second-team honors. Mary Jo Nanti and Kelly Burge earned second-team all-conference doubles honors.
Under his tutelage, Esther Santiago was selected as the 2015 ITA Southeast Region's Most Improved Player. She earned second-team all-conference honors.
On the men's side, Kevin Gonzalez finished the season ranked No. 11 in singles play to earn ITA All-America honors and was ranked No. 11 in doubles play with Lukas Storck.They were selected as first-team all-conference too.
Jose Martinez was a two-time ITA All-American. He finished ranked No. 5 in the country in singles and No. 22 in doubles in 2015.
In 2013-14, he guided the Saints to an 8-17 overall record against one of the toughest schedules in the country. Flagler faced 19 nationally ranked opponents on its schedule and went 4-6 in the tough Peach Belt Conference. Jose Martinez earned ITA All-America honors as well as earning all-conference accolades in 2014.
Prior to Flagler
Hipp comes to Flagler from Barry University where he spent seven years as an assistant tennis coach and played four years for the Miami Shores-based school. He helped coach the men’s team to a perfect 29-0 record and the NCAA Division II national title in 2013. He was on the staff of the 2010 men’s national championship team. Barry was the national runners-up three times (2008, 2009 and 2011). Hipp was also an assistant coach for the women’s team that brought home a national title in 2011.
A native of Germany, he was a three-time Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-America in singles and doubles in his playing days at Barry. Hipp holds the program’s record for career wins as he compiled a 67-13 overall record in singles play and his .837 winning percentage ranks fourth all-time. He was a four-time ITA Scholar All-America. Hipp was inducted into the Sunshine State Conference’s (SSC) Hall of Fame in March 2012.
Hipp was the 2006 SSC Athlete of the Year and Player of the Year. At the conclusion of the 2004-05 academic year, he earned the league’s Scholar Athlete of the Year Award, becoming only the second student-athlete in the history of the Sunshine State Conference to earn its Athlete of the Year and Scholar Athlete of the Year during their career. He was a four-time All-SSC selection in singles and was a three-time All-SSC pick in doubles. In 2003, he was tabbed the SSC Freshman of the Year.
Hipp earned his bachelor’s degree in sport management from Barry in 2006 and completed his master’s in sport management as well as marketing in 2010.
| Thomas Hipp's Coaching Record (men) |
| Year |
Institution |
Conf. Record |
Overall Record |
Honors |
| 2014 |
Flagler |
4-6 |
8-17 (.320) |
PBC Tournament |
| 2015 |
Flagler |
2-8 |
5-14 (.263) |
|
| 2016 |
Flagler |
4-6 |
10-14 (.417) |
PBC Tournament |
| 2017 |
Flagler |
6-4 |
16-8 (.667) |
NCAA D2 regional |
| 2018 |
Flagler |
6-2 |
19-8 (.704) |
NCAA D2 regional |
| 2019 |
Flagler |
7-2 |
16-8 (.667) |
NCAA D2 regional |
| 2020 |
Flagler |
0-0 |
7-5 (.583) |
season cxd. after 12 matches |
| 2021 |
Flagler |
4-3 |
7-11 (.389) |
PBC Tournament |
|
Career Record |
33-31 (.516) |
88-85 (.509) |
|
| Thomas Hipp's Coaching Record (women) |
| Year |
Institution |
Conf. Record (finish) |
Overall Record |
Honors |
| 2015 |
Flagler |
9-4 |
14-11 (.560) |
NCAA D2 regional |
| 2016 |
Flagler |
10-2 |
21-7 (.750) |
NCAA D2 regional |
|
Career Record |
19-6 (.760) |
35-18 (.660) |
|
