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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
Fearless, Integrity, Effort, Respect, Commitment, Excitement
plote 2020

Jesse Plote

  • Title
    Head Coach
  • Email
    jplote@daemen.edu
  • Phone
    839-7698
  • Daemen Tenure
    2020-Present (1st Season)
  • Alma Mater
    Creighton '02 / Wisconsin-Superior '15
In August of 2020, Jesse Plote was named the fourth head coach in the history of the Daemen men's and women's tennis program. Plote brings an impressive background in the game as both a player and coach, including 14 years of coaching experience across NCAA Divisions I, II and III. 

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).

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. 

College Coaching Timeline
Year Position School Location Level
2002 Assistant Coach Creighton University Omaha, Neb. NCAA Div. I
2003-04 Assistant Coach University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Eau Claire, Wisc. NCAA Div. III
2004-07 Head Coach University of Nebraska-Kearney Kearney, Neb. NCAA Div. II
2008-13 Head Coach Bradley University Peoria, Ill. NCAA Div. I
2016-20 Volunteer Assistant Coach University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Eau Claire, Wisc. NCAA Div. III
2020-Present Head Coach Daemen College Amherst, N.Y. NCAA Div. II