Jim Thompson assumed the role of head men’s tennis coach at Virginia Tech in 1998 and has since become a fixture in the program’s history. Prior to arriving in Blacksburg, he built coaching experience leading women’s and men’s programs at multiple institutions: he served as assistant women’s coach at Alabama (1988–1990), then became head women’s coach at Anderson College (1990–1994), followed by a dual-head coach role for men’s and women’s tennis at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga from 1994 to 1998. At VT, he has guided the Hokies to postseason play 15 times, produced two All-Americans, and overseen dozens of NCAA singles and doubles qualifiers. Under his leadership, the team has maintained a presence in national rankings nearly every season and consistently produced All-ACC caliber athletes.
A native of Marion, Virginia and a Davidson College graduate (1988, B.A. in History), Thompson was a standout collegiate player. While at Davidson (1985–1988), he captained the team and competed at a high level, later continuing to compete in professional and sectional tennis circuits. His long tenure at Virginia Tech has been marked by consistent competitive success, strong conference performances, and contributions to the broader collegiate tennis community, including service on ITA committees.
