Meet the Coach
J. Webb Horton begins his second season as the head coach for women's tennis at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Horton, who also serves as the head men's tennis coach and as assistant athletic director, was named the second men’s coach in school history in August, 2001. He assumed the duties of interim women’s head coach in June, 2005 and was named the permanent head coach in June, 2006.
This past season the Eagles, under the direction of Horton, finished 13-6. The Eagles finished a fine season by falling to Lynn University in the NCAA South Regional Finals. FGCU ended the season ranked No. 13 in the nation. Horton's tennis team loses just two senior from this year's squad and the No. 1, 2, and 3 singles players as well as No. 1 doubles team all return for next season.
Horton has guided the FGCU men to a 61-21 dual match record during his tenure, including an NCAA tournament berth and a top-10 national ranking in 2004-05. FGCU advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2005, its first season for NCAA post-season eligibility, after posting a 19-5 record for the most wins in school history. The Eagles had posted records of 13-7, 12-3 and 17-6 in his first three seasons. Including a 16-3 mark at NKU in 2001, Horton’s teams have posted a combined record of 77-24 over the past five years.
A 1970 graduate of Edinboro State University, Horton was the head women’s tennis coach and coordinator of Diversity Outreach at Northern Kentucky University in 2000-01, where he also served as coordinator of Diversity Outreach and was named conference Coach of the Year. He was also the head coach for men’s and women’s tennis at Indiana University-Purdue at Fort Wayne from 1996-00, where he also served as an admissions counselor, and spent four seasons as the head coach for women’s tennis at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Under his direction, FGCU hosted the 2004 Intercollegiate Tennis Association national singles championships for men and women in Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior college divisions.
In addition to his coaching duties, Horton also coordinates the community relations effort of the FGCU athletic department. Through partnerships with area schools, the Eagles Math Program and Elementary Reading Program have touched the lives of over 10,000 elementary school children in the last three years.
Horton was selected as national winner of the United States Tennis Association / Intercollegiate Tennis Association Community Service Award in 2004. The award honored Horton for his significant contributions to developing community-based tennis program in Southwest Florida. He has assisted with the USTA’s First Serve Program, which benefits at-risk minority children (ages 4-14); the 2004 USA Deaf Tennis Olympic Trials; the Lee County Community Tennis Association's (LCCTA) USA Tennis Month Rally; USA School Tennis Carnivals; "Tennis on the Move" events to encourage recreational tennis participation; and a USA Team Tennis Rallyball Event for area children.
Horton, who resides in Fort Myers, serves on the Board of Directors for the Lee County Community Tennis Association and is a member of the USA Tennis Florida Diversity Task Force.
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