STATESBORO - Jeremy Bayon has been named the head coach of the Georgia Southern men's tennis team as announced Monday by director of athletics Jared Benko. Bayon comes to Statesboro after two successful seasons as an assistant coach with the Nebraska women's tennis program and has 11 years of experience coaching men's tennis in the Southeastern Conference.

"I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to be the men's tennis head coach at Georgia Southern University," Bayon said. "I want to thank Jared Benko for the opportunity to lead this program. I am excited to start working together with our student-athletes and for my family and me to become a part of the Eagle family."

"I am excited to welcome Jeremy and his family to Statesboro," Benko said. "Jeremy's 11 years of experience in the Southeastern Conference has prepared him to excel in this role. He comes highly recommended from several coaches I know and I can't wait to see where he takes Georgia Southern Men's Tennis!"

At Nebraska, Bayon made an immediate impact on the program, helping the Cornhuskers to an 11-4 record in a shortened 2019-2020 campaign. In 2020-21, two Huskers received recognition from the conference. Kristina Novak was named First-Team All-Big Ten and Maja Makoric earned the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. Bayon helped lead the team to an 11-6 overall mark.

Novak earned All-Big Ten Honors for the first time in her career in 2021 after posting a 12-8 singles record playing out of the No. 1 spot in the lineup in every match. In doubles action, Novak teamed up with four different partners throughout the season to go 8-9 overall and 5-3 with partner Makoric at the No. 1 spot.

Prior to joining the Husker coaching staff, Bayon worked as an assistant coach at IUPUI with the women's team for the 2018-19 season and the women's squad at Butler University from 2015-17.

Most of Bayon's coaching experience comes from his long stint in the SEC, first at Mississippi State University from 2001 to 2003 with the men's team and then at the University of Florida, under men's head coach Andy Jackson from 2003 to 2012.

During his time in Gainesville, he helped the Gators make the Final Four in 2005 as well as winning the SEC tournament championships in 2005 and 2011. The Gators were ranked in the top 10 nationally in eight of his nine seasons and he assisted in producing 15 All Americans and three SEC players of the year.

Following his coaching stint at Florida, Bayon founded the Junior Elite Tennis Academy and worked as the academy director and head coach for three years. After moving to Indianapolis in 2015, Bayon served as the Director of Tennis at the Five Seasons Family Sports Club in 2017 and coached high performance juniors at the Indianapolis Racquet Club in 2018.

Bayon was a four-year letterman for Mississippi State from 1997-2000 and was a member of four teams that made NCAA appearances, including one of Mississippi State's school-best national semifinal showings in 1998.

During his four-year stint on the squad, Bayon compiled career records of 88-51 (63.3 percent) in singles and 82-49 (62.6 percent) in doubles, ranking him in fifth place on Mississippi State's all-time list for total wins when combining singles and doubles play. He ranks eighth in singles and second in doubles overall.

More impressively, however, was Bayon's victory rate in team match situations for the Bulldogs. MSU's team captain in 1999 and 2000, he registered dual match records of 63-23 (73.3 percent) in singles and 57-32 (64.0 percent) in doubles. When combining those two marks, he is Mississippi State's all-time leader in dual match triumphs with 120 career wins in team competition. He is third in Mississippi State history in dual match singles wins and first in doubles.

Bayon held national rankings in both singles and doubles for much of his career, climbing as high as 43rd in the country in singles and sixth in doubles. He closed out his career in 2000, his senior campaign, with his best results, qualifying for the NCAA Singles Championship. He was also an NCAA Doubles Championship participant in 1998 with partner Simon Larose.

A native of St. Etienne, France, Bayon holds a bachelor of business and administration degree from Mississippi State. Bayon and his wife, Rhonda, have two sons, Noah and Isaiah.

The Jeremy Bayon File
Hometown: St. Etienne, France
Education: Mississippi State University
Family: wife, Rhonda; children, Noah and Isaiah

Playing Career:
Four-year letterman for Mississippi State (1997-2000) … 88-51 (63.3 percent) singles record and went 82-49 (62.6 percent) in doubles.

Coaching Career:
Men's Head Coach, Georgia Southern (2021-)
Women's Assistant Coach, Nebraska (2019-2021)
Women's Assistant Coach, IUPUI (2018-2019)
Women's Assistant Coach, Butler (2015-2017)
Head Coach, JETA Tennis Academy, Gainesville Florida (2012-2015)
Men's Assistant Coach, Florida (2003-2012)
Men's Assistant Coach, Mississippi State (2001-2003)