National champ, Britton, joins OM staff
Published 12:01 pm Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Seven years after becoming the youngest NCAA Singles Champion in Division I history, Ole Miss men’s tennis great Devin Britton joins the staff as assistant coach, head coach Toby Hansson announced Tuesday.
A Jackson, Mississippi native, Britton assumes the position after serving the previous three years as a student assistant while completing his degree.
During his time as a student assistant, the Rebels continued their streak of NCAA appearances (23) and finished the 2015 season ranked No. 17 in the nation. Individual honors included three All-America selections, SEC Player of the Year and six All-SEC selections.
“We are very excited to announce that we get to keep Devin here at home at Ole Miss,” Hansson said. “Over the past three years he has showed how much he cares about the success of this program and there is no doubt in my mind that he will help bring more national championships to Oxford.”
Prior to returning to Ole Miss to complete his degree, Britton spent five years on the professional circuit, where he won 12 ITF Futures and two ATP Challenger doubles titles, to go along with a singles title in the Sacramento Futures in June 2012.
Britton was ranked as high as No. 378 in the world in singles and No. 119 in doubles. He also received a wildcard into the 2009 United States Open as the reigning NCAA singles champion, where he faced then-No. 1 and 17-time grand slam champion Roger Federer in the first round.
After a stellar junior career, Britton joined the Rebels in the spring of 2009 and became the youngest player ever, and just the third freshman, to win the NCAA Singles title. He was the first freshman in the history of the program to earn All-America honors and finished that year ranked No. 19 in the nation in singles. Britton helped lead the Rebels to their fifth SEC Championship, their third SEC Tournament Championship, the NCAA Elite Eight and a final national ranking of No. 4.
Britton is excited to remain with the Rebels and help bring a national championship to the program as a coach.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to have been successful here as an athlete and now to be a coach here,” Britton said. “As a student assistant, I had the chance to work under two of the best coaches in Billy Chadwick and Toby Hansson, and I’ve learned a lot from them. I am excited for next season with the team we have coming back and the addition of a big-time player. I am ready to get to work.”
Britton graduated from Ole Miss in May with a degree in managerial finance.