From player to coach Meet women’s tennis associate head coach Drake Bernstein

R&B: What do you personally try to do to help keep that culture here at UGA?

DB: You know, I think it’s having old teammates come back. I participate in as much alumni stuff as we can. We had a big reunion in November where we all came back and played some doubles. We’ve traveled to Fort Worth to play alumni championships there.

R&B: Is there something you personally took away from playing under coach Diaz and implemented into your coaching style?

DB: Yeah, he was great in helping us understand where tennis fit in the big scheme of life. I think as a college coach, that’s something that’s a big part of all of our jobs is to help put this tennis thing into perspective and, you know, help our players understand that it’s a gift and it’s an honor to play at Georgia.

R&B: I also saw that you spent a year with Alabama and their women’s tennis team. How was that experience different from the culture and experience here at UGA?

Ayaan Bakaly

The associate head coach of the Georgia women’s tennis team, Drake Bernstein, has spent the past 11 years with the team. Bernstein, who played for Georgia himself from 2007-2011, is among only 14 players in Bulldog history to win over 100 singles matches according to georgiadogs.com. Bernstein sat down with The Red & Black and talked about his time with Georgia tennis.

The Red & Black: You started off your career playing tennis here at UGA under coach Manuel Diaz. What ultimately led you to pick UGA?

Drake Bernstein: I was considering other SEC schools and then I came on my visit and it was probably about an hour into my visit just hanging out with the guys [when] I called my parents and said, “This is where I’m going.” For me, I wasn’t the most sought-after recruit, but you know, I looked at the stadium and said, ‘If I’ve ever played one match here, then it was worth it to come,’ and things worked out.

R&B: Would you say the culture is different now compared to what it was 10-12 years ago?

DB: I think that it’s really similar, it’s always been a brotherhood.

I think Manny [Diaz] taking the torch from coach Miguel in that sense, and the only thing that’s different is we got new people being added in every year. We’ve got a group text with all the alumni. It’s just a group of brothers.

DB: We had a great year at Alabama and had a great head coach there who I was working under, Jenny Mainz. I mean, she was fantastic and a lot of it was similar where we’re just trying to build a close team. Obviously, getting to do it at home is a little bit extra special here in Athens, but it was a good year there. I definitely learned a lot about how college tennis works and how the coaching side of it works. That was really a year of transition for me, coming out as a player to a coach. I think similarly in ways like Georgia. I think that tennis is more than just another sport. Obviously, if you look out here at the stadium, you look at the crowds that we get, it’s a big deal. It’s nice to be able to do that again on home courts.

R&B: What would you say is different about the transition from player to coach and the mindset you have going into matches?

DB: I think there’s a lot more preparation as a coach. In terms of now, it’s my job to understand an entire team rather than just myself, and communicating with every player is different. Some people need a lot of info, some people don’t need much at all. Some need emotionally charged information, and some need very little emotion so I think just understanding the whole team picture is definitely a big part of that transition.

R&B: You’ve been at UGA for 11 years now, what keeps bringing you back to UGA instead of pursuing other opportunities?

DB: I mean, I think it’s the people here. I think it’s the girls that we have in the locker room. It’s kind of like my first love in you know, in athletics, it’s never going to get old. This is the only place that I ever want to be, and there’s no changing that anytime soon.

R&B: From this point on, what should fans expect from not only you but from the team as well?

DB: I think that, just expect us to compete and give it everything we got, that’s what we’re doing. We’re trying to do this thing together. We’re trying to do it with more than just ourselves in the locker room. We want this to be a community sport. We want this to be something that people can get excited about coming out on Friday nights, Sunday afternoons, being a part of that and that’s what helps keep us pushing. We want to do it together with everybody around here.

Bernstein’s time in Athens

Sept. 2007 Bernstein began freshman season with Georgia.

May 2008 Georgia won men’s tennis NCAA championship

Feb. 2011 Bernstein won 100th singles match with Georgia, one of 14 players in school history to reach that mark

April 2011 Bernstein named to the All-SEC second team.

May 2011 Bernstein graduated from Georgia with a degree in sports management

Sept. 2011 Bernstein hired to be the assistant women’s tennis coach at the University of Alabama

July 2012 Bernstein hired as associate head coach of the women’s tennis program at the University of Georgia

April 2013 Bernstein helped coach Georgia women’s tennis to an SEC championship

April 2014 Bernstein helped coach Georgia women’s tennis to an SEC tournament title

Feb. 2019 Bernstein helped coach Georgia women’s tennis to an ITA National Indoor Championship.

April 2019 Bernstein helped coach Georgia women’s tennis to a second SEC championship in his tenure

April 2021 Bernstein helped coach Georgia women’s tennis to a third SEC championship in his tenure

April 2021 Bernstein helped coach Georgia women’s tennis to a second SEC tournament title in his tenure

April 2022 Bernstein ended his 10th season as associate head coach of the Georgia women’s tennis team