Courtesy of Delaware State Athletic Media Relations


DOVER, Del., Nov. 19, 2020 -- Delaware State Director of Athletics Dr. D. Scott Gines has announced the hiring of certified professional Pavel Zinchenko as the new head coach of the Hornets' women's tennis team.

"Pavel stood out among many fine candidates for the DSU women's tennis head coach position because he's an accomplished teacher and leader with a broad skill set on and off the court," Gines said. "He is a well-respected, highly motivated individual with the experience and track record to earn a head coaching opportunity."

This is Zinchenko's his first head coaching position.

A former college assistant coach, the 27-year Zinchenko currently serves as a director of tennis for Barrow County, Georgia.

His collegiate coaching experience includes a one-year stint as an assistant women's and men's tennis coach at his alma mater, Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, Ga.

During the 2018-19 season, he helped lead Emmanuel's women to the Carolinas Conference Tournament championship and a NCAA Div. II national tournament appearance.

From August 2016 to June 2018, Zinchenko was an assistant women's and men's coach at NAIA Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas.

Among his highlights at Tabor was an Intercollegiate Tennis Association Assistant Coach-of-the-Year award in 2018. That year, he also helped lead the Blue Jay women's program to the Kansas College Athletic Conference regular season championship, while several Tabor women competed in the NAIA individual nationals in 2016 and '17.      

Zinchenko also served as a professional coach at the Hit Atlanta Tennis Center in 2014 and 2015.

"I'm excited for the opportunity to lead the Delaware State women's tennis program and grateful for the trust placed in me by the DSU administration," Zinchenko said. "As a Division I program, there's tremendous growth potential for the team. I'm really looking forward to developing the current players and working to grow our roster with high quality student-athletes. As we expand the roster, it creates great competition on the team and healthy battles for playing time."

Zinchenko was a four-year letterwinner on the Emmanuel College tennis team. He was a two-time NCAA Div. II All-America Second Team selection (2011-12 & 2012-13) and three-year team captain.

He holds three degrees from Emmanuel, receiving bachelors' in Kinesiology in 2014 and Sports Science in 2016, in addition to a master's in Business Administration in 2018.  

Zinchenko is scheduled to begin his Delaware State coaching duties on Jan. 7, 2021.