Women's Tennis
Thomson, Tyler
Tyler Thomson
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
- Email:
- tjthom@unc.edu
- Phone:
- 919-962-6161
Tyler Thomson, a former head coach with nearly two decades of experience at the Division I level, finished his sixth year as associate head coach of the North Carolina women’s tennis program in 2024-25. Thomson served as head coach at the University of Minnesota for 11 seasons between 2001-12 and William & Mary for six seasons from 2013-18.
Thomson’s six seasons in Chapel Hill have been full of victories and historic moments for the program. Carolina has recorded an 195-16 record in dual matches and a 81-3 mark against the Atlantic Coast Conference since Thomson arrived in Chapel Hill. Additionally, the Tar Heels have won its first NCAA championship and its fourth ITA National Team Indoor Championships and a trio of ACC Championships. Following the 2024 season, Thomson was named the Carolina Region’s Assistant Coach of the Year.
In his first season of 2018-19, the Tar Heels won their fourth-consecutive ACC Championship, advanced to the NCAA Team Championship semifinals as the No. 2 seed and spent seven weeks at No. 1 in the ITA national polls before settling at No. 3 in the final poll of the season. His influence on Carolina’s doubles play was evident throughout the year. Four players earned All-America honors and two tandems finished top-10 in the final rankings. As a team, UNC won the doubles point in 31 of 33 duals.
Year two was just as good in 2019-20. Though the season was cut short in mid March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UNC again reached No. 1 in the national rankings after winning the 2020 ITA National Team Indoor Championship. Upon the abrupt conclusion of the season, the Tar Heels were a perfect 18-0 in dual matches, sat at the top of the ACC standings and finished the season No. 1 for the first time in program history.
Carolina again enjoyed a magnificent season in 2020-21. The Tar Heels won their first ITA National Team Indoor Championship, won back-to-back titles for the first time and secured a fifth-straight ACC Championship. Makenna Jones and Elizabeth Scotty won the NCAA Doubles Championship, while Alexa Graham brought home the ITA Fall Championship singles title. Additionally, Sara Daavettila became the first player in program history named the Honda Sport Award winner and was the ACC Player of the Year.
UNC earned the program’s first No. 1 seed at the NCAA Team Championship and reached the final four for a fourth time. Carolina set an ACC record by winning 48-straight dual matches that spanned the 2020 and 2021 seasons, finished with a 30-1 record and was No. 2 in the final ITA rankings, the best in Tar Heel women’s tennis history.
Carolina remained at the top of collegiate tennis in the 2021-22 season by winning a third-straight ITA indoor national title and earn the No. 1 seed at the NCAA Team Championship for a second year in a row and again reached the semifinals. The Tar Heels finished the year No. 3 in the final rankings with a 28-3 record.
No program in collegiate tennis can match Carolina's coaching duo in terms of total years of service as head coaches. Brian Kalbas, the winningest active coach in the NCAA, begins his 34th season as a head coach in 2025-26. Toss in Thomson's 17 years into the mix and UNC will have 51 years of Division I head coaching acumen court side for the 2025-26 campaign.
Kalbas and Thomson spent four seasons together as head coach and assistant coach, respectively, at William & Mary from 1997-01, winning three Colonial Athletic Association Championships (1998, 1999 and 2000) and reaching the NCAA Team Championship on three occasions, including a quarterfinals appearance in 1998.
Thomson became the head coach at the University of Minnesota in 2001 and spent 11 years in Minneapolis. He led the Golden Gophers to 111 victories and the program's first Big Ten regular season title in 2003. That season, Minnesota advanced to the championship match of the Big Ten Tournament for the first time, earned a spot in the NCAA Championship, and for his efforts, Thomson garnered Big Ten Coach of the Year honors.
Thomson returned to Williamsburg, Va., in 2012 as the ninth head women's tennis coach at William & Mary. In six seasons, the Tribe won five CAA Championships and earned the league's coach of the year award in his first season of 2013 and during his final season this past spring in 2018. W&M made five NCAA Championship appearances, and finished inside the top 50 of the final ITA National Rankings on four occasions.
Thomson saw 21 Tribe players earn All-CAA honors in singles and nine doubles teams garnered All-CAA accolades. He had the CAA Player of the Year on five occasions, the CAA Freshman of the Year three times and the Most Outstanding Performer of the CAA Championship three times.
He had a total of five participants (three singles and two doubles teams) in the NCAA Individual Championships. Maria Belaya, the 2013 CAA Player of the Year, and Jeltje Loomans, who finished the year ranked No. 13 nationally, advanced to the round of 16 in the 2013 NCAA Doubles Championship.
Nearly a quarter of Thomson's 86 career victories with William & Mary came against nationally-ranked competition. During the 2018 campaign, W&M handed No. 19 Wake Forest a 4-3 setback in Williamsburg. The Green and Gold knocked off 20 Power Five Conference opponents in Thomson's six seasons.
Thomson spent one season as an assistant coach at Allegheny College (Pa.) prior to joining W&M in 1997. He was a four-year starter during his playing days at the University of Montana. Thomson earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from Montana in 1993. A Bismarck, N.D., native, he earned All-America honors in 1989 as a senior at Bismarck High School.
Thomson and his wife, Amy, have two sons.
Thomson’s six seasons in Chapel Hill have been full of victories and historic moments for the program. Carolina has recorded an 195-16 record in dual matches and a 81-3 mark against the Atlantic Coast Conference since Thomson arrived in Chapel Hill. Additionally, the Tar Heels have won its first NCAA championship and its fourth ITA National Team Indoor Championships and a trio of ACC Championships. Following the 2024 season, Thomson was named the Carolina Region’s Assistant Coach of the Year.
In his first season of 2018-19, the Tar Heels won their fourth-consecutive ACC Championship, advanced to the NCAA Team Championship semifinals as the No. 2 seed and spent seven weeks at No. 1 in the ITA national polls before settling at No. 3 in the final poll of the season. His influence on Carolina’s doubles play was evident throughout the year. Four players earned All-America honors and two tandems finished top-10 in the final rankings. As a team, UNC won the doubles point in 31 of 33 duals.
Year two was just as good in 2019-20. Though the season was cut short in mid March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UNC again reached No. 1 in the national rankings after winning the 2020 ITA National Team Indoor Championship. Upon the abrupt conclusion of the season, the Tar Heels were a perfect 18-0 in dual matches, sat at the top of the ACC standings and finished the season No. 1 for the first time in program history.
Carolina again enjoyed a magnificent season in 2020-21. The Tar Heels won their first ITA National Team Indoor Championship, won back-to-back titles for the first time and secured a fifth-straight ACC Championship. Makenna Jones and Elizabeth Scotty won the NCAA Doubles Championship, while Alexa Graham brought home the ITA Fall Championship singles title. Additionally, Sara Daavettila became the first player in program history named the Honda Sport Award winner and was the ACC Player of the Year.
UNC earned the program’s first No. 1 seed at the NCAA Team Championship and reached the final four for a fourth time. Carolina set an ACC record by winning 48-straight dual matches that spanned the 2020 and 2021 seasons, finished with a 30-1 record and was No. 2 in the final ITA rankings, the best in Tar Heel women’s tennis history.
Carolina remained at the top of collegiate tennis in the 2021-22 season by winning a third-straight ITA indoor national title and earn the No. 1 seed at the NCAA Team Championship for a second year in a row and again reached the semifinals. The Tar Heels finished the year No. 3 in the final rankings with a 28-3 record.
No program in collegiate tennis can match Carolina's coaching duo in terms of total years of service as head coaches. Brian Kalbas, the winningest active coach in the NCAA, begins his 34th season as a head coach in 2025-26. Toss in Thomson's 17 years into the mix and UNC will have 51 years of Division I head coaching acumen court side for the 2025-26 campaign.
Kalbas and Thomson spent four seasons together as head coach and assistant coach, respectively, at William & Mary from 1997-01, winning three Colonial Athletic Association Championships (1998, 1999 and 2000) and reaching the NCAA Team Championship on three occasions, including a quarterfinals appearance in 1998.
Thomson became the head coach at the University of Minnesota in 2001 and spent 11 years in Minneapolis. He led the Golden Gophers to 111 victories and the program's first Big Ten regular season title in 2003. That season, Minnesota advanced to the championship match of the Big Ten Tournament for the first time, earned a spot in the NCAA Championship, and for his efforts, Thomson garnered Big Ten Coach of the Year honors.
Thomson returned to Williamsburg, Va., in 2012 as the ninth head women's tennis coach at William & Mary. In six seasons, the Tribe won five CAA Championships and earned the league's coach of the year award in his first season of 2013 and during his final season this past spring in 2018. W&M made five NCAA Championship appearances, and finished inside the top 50 of the final ITA National Rankings on four occasions.
Thomson saw 21 Tribe players earn All-CAA honors in singles and nine doubles teams garnered All-CAA accolades. He had the CAA Player of the Year on five occasions, the CAA Freshman of the Year three times and the Most Outstanding Performer of the CAA Championship three times.
He had a total of five participants (three singles and two doubles teams) in the NCAA Individual Championships. Maria Belaya, the 2013 CAA Player of the Year, and Jeltje Loomans, who finished the year ranked No. 13 nationally, advanced to the round of 16 in the 2013 NCAA Doubles Championship.
Nearly a quarter of Thomson's 86 career victories with William & Mary came against nationally-ranked competition. During the 2018 campaign, W&M handed No. 19 Wake Forest a 4-3 setback in Williamsburg. The Green and Gold knocked off 20 Power Five Conference opponents in Thomson's six seasons.
Thomson spent one season as an assistant coach at Allegheny College (Pa.) prior to joining W&M in 1997. He was a four-year starter during his playing days at the University of Montana. Thomson earned a bachelor's degree in English literature from Montana in 1993. A Bismarck, N.D., native, he earned All-America honors in 1989 as a senior at Bismarck High School.
Thomson and his wife, Amy, have two sons.
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