John Blackburn came to Methodist in the summer of 2015 to take over its highly successful women’s tennis program boasting 16 years of successful experience as a head tennis coach at the collegiate level.
Blackburn has posted a 104-52 overall record (.667) at the helm of the Monarchs and has won three regular season conference championships, two conference tournament championships and made two NCAA Tournament appearances. He was named the USA South Women's Tennis Coach of the Year following the 2017 campaign. In conference play, Blackburn has led the program to a 46-3 mark.
He has coached a total of 29 all-conference players while at MU, including 15 first team selections.
In Blackburn's first two season at the helm, he led the Monarchs to two consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearances after going a combined 19-0 in league play and winning the USA South conference tournament both times. After victories in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and 2016, the Monarchs fell to Emory in the second round both times.
Blackburn led Methodist back to the conference tournament championship in 2017-18 but fell short, 5-3 to N.C. Wesleyan after entering the tournament with a 19-6 record and a perfect 8-0 mark in conference.
In 2018-19, the Monarchs finished with a 15-9 overall record and a league mark of 7-1, good for second in the East Division of the USA South. Methodist defeated Maryville in the quarterfinals of the USA South Conference Tournament before falling to top-seeded Piedmont, 5-3, in the semifinals. Blackburn oversaw four players earn all-conference selections, including Ashton Walker, a first team All-Conference and All-East selection.
The 2019-20 season was cut short due to the Covid-19 global pandemic, as the team ended the season with an overall record of 10-5 and did not play any conference games or championships.
The Monarchs were back to a more normal season in 2020-21 as the team went 8-14 overall and 5-1 in league play. This was Blackburn's first overall losing record while at the helm of the program but was able to make it to the USA South Conference Championship finals where the team lost to N.C. Wesleyan 6-3.
In the 2021-22 season, Blackburn led the team to an overall record of 14-8 and a 7-1 record in conference play. The team posted an eight match win streak in conference play before losing 5-4 to Averett in the last match of the regular season. The team went on to play in the USA South Conference Championships in Rome, Georgia for Blackburn's sixth time as head coach where the team defeated No. 3 seed of the west, Huntingdon 9-0 in the quarterfinals but came up short 5-4 against No. 1 seed of the west, Piedmont in the semifinals.
He served as the head women’s tennis coach at Eastern Illinois University from 2005 to 2015, during which time the program earned its first-ever NCAA Division I Top 75 national rankings in 2008 (No. 75) and again in 2014 (No. 69). In his last three seasons at Eastern Illinois, his teams compiled a won-loss record of 37-19 and reached the semifinals of the conference tournament in two of those three seasons. He was named Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Coach of the Year in the 2015.
Prior to his stop at EIU, he was the head women’s tennis coach at Coker College from 2002-2005. While at Coker, his women’s teams rose three positions in the conference standings each season. As Head Women’s Tennis Coach at Palm Beach Atlantic University from 1999-2002 his women’s teams earned the program’s first-ever NAIA national ranking, first-ever bid to the national championships, and advanced to the NAIA National Championships in each of his three years as head coach.
On being chosen to lead the women’s tennis program in July of 2015 Blackburn commented “my family and I are thrilled to be joining the MU campus community and athletic department, and to be working with Francie Barragan, Kaitlyn Flaherty and coach Mike Bonnell in the Professional Tennis Management program," said Blackburn. "It’s an honor to have the chance to try to build on the standard of excellence that Barragan and the players have established here, and to coach at a place that gives students a tremendous overall college experience and is committed to doing great things with intercollegiate tennis and the PTM program. I believe our student-athletes have so much potential to do great things, I can't wait to get started."
“My coaching philosophy centers around player development, serving and assisting each player to reach their full potential on the court, while allowing them the time to be well rounded and enjoy everything Methodist has to offer to its students.”
Blackburn earned his undergraduate degree from Oklahoma Christian University in 1996 and a master’s degree from Oklahoma State University in 1999. He lives in Fayetteville with his wife Christie and daughter Jenavieve.
Blackburn's Record at Methodist…
| Season |
Record (Overall) |
Record (Conference) |
Season Notes… |
| 2015-16 |
20-3 |
12-0 |
USA South Reg. Season and Tournament Champs / NCAA Tournament, Second Round participant |
| 2016-17 |
18-7 |
7-0 |
USA South Reg. Season and Tour. Champs / NCAA Tour., Second Round participant |
| 2017-18 |
19-6 |
8-0 |
USA South Reg. Season Champs / USA South Tour. finalist |
| 2018-19 |
15-9 |
7-1 |
USA South Tour. semifinalist |
| 2019-20* |
10-5 |
0-0 |
*Season canceled on 3/16/20 due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2020-21 |
8-14 |
5-1 |
USA South Tour. East Divisional finalist |
| 2021-22 |
14-8 |
7-1 |
USA South Tour. semifinalist |
| TOTALS |
104-52 |
46-3 |
|
