Tina Tharp begins her 18th season as the men’s and women’s tennis head coach at West Chester University where she has orchestrated one of the most impressive turnarounds with both programs in all of college tennis.

Overall, Tharp has authored a combined men’s and women’s record of 235-324 (.420) while at West Chester University. Her women are 173-142 (.549) over the past 17 campaigns. In terms of the conference, Tharp has compiled a combined record of 94-81 (.537), including 75-17 (.815) with the women's team. Tharp has captured Coach of the Year plaudits in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) six times on the women's side (2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022) while also nabbing Edwin J. Faulkner College Coach of the Year honors from the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) Middle States chapter in 2015. Along with that, Tharp was also honored with the USTA Middle States PATD Coach of the Year award. Tharp also the International Master Professional Award from the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) in 2022, becoming one of 46 individuals to receive the award and one of just six females to be recognized in this manner.

At the helm of the school's women's program, Tharp has steered her charges to six PSAC Eastern Division regular-season titles (2015-17, 2019, 2021, 2022), which included a 16-match conference winning streak, and a pair of NCAA Atlantic Regional appearances. West Chester has qualified for the postseason 12 out of the 14 years there was a postseason (2020 not included due to the coronavirus pandemic) and has finished lower than second place just twice in that same span.

In addition to her six conference coach of the year plaques, Tharp has mentored five different female tennis players, who have won a total of seven conference athlete of the year accolades. Four more student-athletes were named conference freshman of the year in their initial college campaigns, running the total of major award winners during her first dozen years on South Campus to 16 in all. Over the last 15 years, 33 female tennis players have been named all-conference, including Rylee Power, who was a four-time, first-team All-PSAC East selection at singles and a three-time first teamer at doubles. Claire Uhle and Maddy Shaak were each three-time first team all-leaguers in singles play while earning a pair of first team all-league plaudits in doubles play as well for each.

On the men's side, Tharp inherited a men's program that was mired in a 23-match losing streak entering the 2008-09 campaign and reversed the program's fortunes in five short seasons - securing a tie for first place in the regular-season standings in 2013. That season, West Chester also defeated both perennial PSAC Eastern Division powers (Kutztown and Bloomsburg) in the same weekend. It marked the first time since at least the turn of the century that West Chester had defeated either school - signaling a changing of the guard among the PSAC schools on the eastern side of the state. The regular-season crown marked the first for the Golden Rams men's program.

Tharp's men have qualified for the PSAC postseason tournament four times, making consecutive appearances from 2013-16. The Golden Rams authored an even 10-10 conference mark over that four-year span, representing the best four-year run in program history. In her 14 years at West Chester, three West Chester men have earned All-PSAC certificates, increasing Tharp's combined total of all-league recipients to 17.

She holds certification with the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR). Tharp played collegiate tennis at Penn State University where she graduated with a degree in Exercise and Sport Science in 1989. She has received accreditation from the USA Tennis high performance coaching program. Additionally, she is a certified USTA and ITA umpire and referee.

Tharp came to West Chester from the Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education where she served as its executive director.

Tharp serves the Professional Tennis Registry as an international clinician and is the chairperson of the PTR women’s committee. She also served this organization as an executive member of its National Tester Committee. Tharp has been nationally recognized for her successful and innovative programming skills. Her highly acclaimed article “How to Establish a Developmental Plan” published in the February 2003 issue of Tennis Pro magazine has been translated in seven languages. Tharp currently volunteers as a management consultant for the Rodney Street Tennis and Tutoring Association in Wilmington, Del.

Tharp has held prior positions as the head professional at the Cleveland Country Club in Shelby, N.C., Overbrook Golf Club, Bryn Mawr, Pa. and the head women’s tennis coach at Eastern University in Wayne, Pa. Before obtaining certification as a tennis professional, Tharp was the Administrative Director of the Ebel Philadelphia Indoor, a prestigious ATP championship event.

WOMEN