Plote Introduced As Head Tennis Coach

9/8/2020 12:30:00 PM

By: By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications

AMHERST, N.Y. - The appointment of Jesse Plote, an accomplished coach and certified professional, as the next Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach at Daemen College was announced today by Traci Murphy, director of athletics. Plote brings an impressive background as both a player and coach, including 14 years of coaching experience across NCAA Divisions I, II and III. He becomes the fourth head coach in Daemen's program history, replacing veteran mentor Kerry McDermott who stepped down from the post last spring following two seasons with the Wildcats.

"We are thrilled with the addition of Jesse Plote to our coaching staff," said Murphy, now embarking on her third year leading the Division of Athletics. "He has a proven track record of success that immediately made him an attractive candidate. The passion and knowledge that Jesse brings will make him a tremendous asset for our tennis student-athletes."

Certified with the U.S. Professional Tennis Registry for more than 15 years, Plote holds eight seasons of head coaching experience. From 2004-07, he led the men's and women's teams at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, an NCAA Division II program. In that span, Plote led the UNK men to three consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament and was a two-time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. He was also named the North Central Region Coach of the Year after guiding the Lopers to a 16-7 overall record during the 2005-06 season.

Plote followed with a five-year (2008-13) stint leading the NCAA Division I men's program at Bradley University. Inheriting a team that went 21-58 in the four seasons prior to his arrival, Plote orchestrated the program's resurgence as the Braves averaged 11.6 wins over his five seasons. The Braves achieved three successive winning seasons from 2010-11 through 2012-13, the program's first such stretch since the 1980's. In 2011-12, Plote led the Braves to 15 wins, the program's highest total since winning 16 matches in 1988-89. His teams also achieved the top grade point average among men's teams at Bradley in three of the final four semesters of his tenure. Plote also served as interim head coach of the Bradley's women's team in 2012.

Plote has also served as an assistant coach at Division I Creighton University (his alma mater) as well as Division III University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He has most recently been a volunteer assistant at Wisconsin-Eau Claire from 2016-20, his second stint with the Blugolds (also 2003-04).

"I am excited for the opportunity to be the head tennis coach at Daemen College," said Plote. "I am eager for the chance to get to know our current student-athletes and alumni, as well as to recruit new players to this institution. There will be challenges ahead, but we'll attack them together with a great sense of pride and purpose."

In addition to his college coaching experience, Plote has spent time as a teaching professional at various clubs, including the Nebraska Tennis Center in Lincoln. He is currently a member of the professional staff at Miller Tennis Center in Williamsville, the indoor home of Daemen's tennis program.

After beginning his own collegiate career at the junior college level for Vincennes University, Plote went on play two seasons of Division I tennis for Creighton. He graduated in 2002 with a degree in business administration. Plote later added bachelors (secondary education, social studies) and masters (educational administration) degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Superior in 2015 and 2019, respectively. He spent five years (2015-20) as a middle school social studies teacher in the Spooner (Wisc.) School District.

Daemen College features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

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