KNOXVILLE - John Currie did not go far to make his first coaching hire as Tennessee's athletic director.
Tennessee announced Friday that Chris Woodruff will be the men's tennis head coach. Woodruff has been a Tennessee assistant since 2002. He won an NCAA singles championship as a Volunteer in 1993.
The Knoxville native will replace Sam Winterbotham, who was fired after the Vols' season ended in last month's Southeastern Conference tournament with a 13-14 record.
"There is no one more committed to ensuring that Tennessee tennis consistently competes at a championship level," Currie said in a news release. "No individual is going to work harder to ensure that our student-athletes achieve at a high level academically while also making a positive, meaningful impact in this community. He literally and truly is a Vol for life."
Woodruff will receive a five-year contract with an average base salary of $141,000.
He said in an introductory news conference that revitalizing the team's culture will help the Vols return to championship contention.
"If we apply ourselves, try to do things to the best of our ability and we're honest about it, talk about it and have a team-like atmosphere, that's all I can ask for," Woodruff said.