Baylor Adds Jordan Gobatie as Men’s Tennis Assistant Coach
7/17/2026 10:00:00 AM | General
Woodson brings on Arizona assistant who helped Wildcats reach back-to-back Big 12 titles
WACO, Texas – Baylor men's tennis head coach Michael Woodson has added Jordan Gobatie to his staff as an assistant coach, effective July 2026, the program announced on Friday.
"We're absolutely thrilled to welcome Jordan Gobatie to our Baylor Tennis family," Woodson said. "From the very beginning of this process, it was clear that he brings an incredible energy and passion for coaching that is contagious. Success has followed Jordan everywhere he's been, and that's no accident. He has a relentless work ethic, a genuine love for people, and an unwavering commitment to helping student-athletes reach their full potential."
Gobatie joins Baylor after two seasons on the Arizona men's tennis staff, a stretch that included one of the most successful runs in program history. In 2025-26, the Wildcats went 24-5 overall and 8-0 in Big 12 play to claim the conference's regular-season title in just their second year in the league. Arizona knocked off No. 9 Oklahoma in the Sweet 16 to reach the Elite Eight for the first time in program history before falling to top overall seed Wake Forest.
The 2025-26 season followed an equally historic 2024-25 campaign, Gobatie's first with the Arizona men's program. The Wildcats went 26-5, won the Big 12 Tournament championship in their inaugural season in the league and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, going undefeated in the Southwest region along the way. Colton Smith finished that season unbeaten in dual match play and climbed to a No. 3 national ranking, while Jay Friend closed the year ranked No. 9 and earned ITA Academic All-America honors; the two combined for All-America honors in doubles.
"What excites me most is how much Jordan aligns with what we believe in here at Baylor," Woodson said. "He invests deeply in relationships, cares about the transformation of young people beyond the tennis court and is fully committed to their personal and athletic development. Those are the qualities that build championship programs and lasting cultures."
Before his two seasons with the Arizona men's program, Gobatie spent the 2023-24 season as an assistant with the Arizona women's team, helping the Wildcats reach the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2014. Arizona won 17 matches that season, including a first-round upset of Oregon at the Pac-12 Championships, and three players earned all-conference honors.
Gobatie's coaching résumé also includes stops at Boise State, where the Broncos reached the Mountain West semifinals for the first time in program history, and Arizona State, where he served as a volunteer assistant from 2020-22 as the Sun Devils reached their first Pac-12 Championship final and finished ranked No. 17 nationally. He spent the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons as an assistant at Northern Arizona, helping the Lumberjacks win a Big Sky regular-season title and their first conference tournament championship since 1999, a run that carried NAU to just its second NCAA Tournament appearance. He began his coaching career at Cypress College, where he was promoted to head coach in 2017 and led the team to an 8-2 conference record.
"Jordan is also someone who is incredibly well respected throughout the tennis world," Woodson said. "Whether it's his colleagues in the college coaching community or the professional players he's worked with, people consistently speak about his character, his knowledge of the game, and the positive impact he has on everyone around him. That kind of respect is earned."
As a player, Gobatie competed at Riverside Community College before transferring to Northern Arizona, where he earned All-Big Sky first-team honors at No. 1 singles and doubles. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's in education, both from Northern Arizona.
"I truly believe Jordan has one of the brightest futures in our profession, and we're fortunate that the next chapter of his journey will be here at Baylor," Woodson said. "We're pumped to have him join us, and I can't wait to see the impact he'll make on our program, our student-athletes and the Baylor community."
For more information on Baylor men's tennis, follow along on Facebook, Instagram and X @BaylorMTennis.
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"We're absolutely thrilled to welcome Jordan Gobatie to our Baylor Tennis family," Woodson said. "From the very beginning of this process, it was clear that he brings an incredible energy and passion for coaching that is contagious. Success has followed Jordan everywhere he's been, and that's no accident. He has a relentless work ethic, a genuine love for people, and an unwavering commitment to helping student-athletes reach their full potential."
Gobatie joins Baylor after two seasons on the Arizona men's tennis staff, a stretch that included one of the most successful runs in program history. In 2025-26, the Wildcats went 24-5 overall and 8-0 in Big 12 play to claim the conference's regular-season title in just their second year in the league. Arizona knocked off No. 9 Oklahoma in the Sweet 16 to reach the Elite Eight for the first time in program history before falling to top overall seed Wake Forest.
The 2025-26 season followed an equally historic 2024-25 campaign, Gobatie's first with the Arizona men's program. The Wildcats went 26-5, won the Big 12 Tournament championship in their inaugural season in the league and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, going undefeated in the Southwest region along the way. Colton Smith finished that season unbeaten in dual match play and climbed to a No. 3 national ranking, while Jay Friend closed the year ranked No. 9 and earned ITA Academic All-America honors; the two combined for All-America honors in doubles.
"What excites me most is how much Jordan aligns with what we believe in here at Baylor," Woodson said. "He invests deeply in relationships, cares about the transformation of young people beyond the tennis court and is fully committed to their personal and athletic development. Those are the qualities that build championship programs and lasting cultures."
Before his two seasons with the Arizona men's program, Gobatie spent the 2023-24 season as an assistant with the Arizona women's team, helping the Wildcats reach the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2014. Arizona won 17 matches that season, including a first-round upset of Oregon at the Pac-12 Championships, and three players earned all-conference honors.
Gobatie's coaching résumé also includes stops at Boise State, where the Broncos reached the Mountain West semifinals for the first time in program history, and Arizona State, where he served as a volunteer assistant from 2020-22 as the Sun Devils reached their first Pac-12 Championship final and finished ranked No. 17 nationally. He spent the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons as an assistant at Northern Arizona, helping the Lumberjacks win a Big Sky regular-season title and their first conference tournament championship since 1999, a run that carried NAU to just its second NCAA Tournament appearance. He began his coaching career at Cypress College, where he was promoted to head coach in 2017 and led the team to an 8-2 conference record.
"Jordan is also someone who is incredibly well respected throughout the tennis world," Woodson said. "Whether it's his colleagues in the college coaching community or the professional players he's worked with, people consistently speak about his character, his knowledge of the game, and the positive impact he has on everyone around him. That kind of respect is earned."
As a player, Gobatie competed at Riverside Community College before transferring to Northern Arizona, where he earned All-Big Sky first-team honors at No. 1 singles and doubles. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's in education, both from Northern Arizona.
"I truly believe Jordan has one of the brightest futures in our profession, and we're fortunate that the next chapter of his journey will be here at Baylor," Woodson said. "We're pumped to have him join us, and I can't wait to see the impact he'll make on our program, our student-athletes and the Baylor community."
For more information on Baylor men's tennis, follow along on Facebook, Instagram and X @BaylorMTennis.
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