Dash Connell Talks About His Journey To Become Lady Flames Tennis Coach

The 2024-2025 tennis season marks Dash Connell’s first year as head coach of the Lady Flames. After coaching at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas for 14 years, where he led both the men and women’s teams to 11 national championships combined, Connell accepted the head coach position for the Women’s Tennis Team at Liberty University. 

Connell grew up in Houston, Texas where his tennis career began at a young age. His parents both worked at a country club, so Connell entertained himself by hitting a basket of tennis balls by himself. Tennis genes run deep in Connell’s family; his dad played for Texas A&M University while his older sister played for Abilene Christian University. As adults, Connell, his two sisters and his brother still play tennis together. 

As he grew up, Connell had a decorated athletic career of his own. In high school, he won two state championships with Katy Taylor High School as well as a state championship in doubles in 2001. Connell’s collegiate career started at Tyler Junior College, where he went on to coach.  

In his two seasons playing for Tyler Junior College, Connell won National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national championships in 2002 and 2003 while also being ranked first in the nation in doubles. From there, Connell transferred to Texas A&M where he finished his career and earned a bachelor’s degree in history.  

Connell began his coaching career in 2009 as an assistant coach at Tyler Junior College. He served as the interim head coach from 2011-2012, which led to him keeping the head coach position until he came to Liberty in 2024. During his time at Tyler Junior College, he coached six women’s teams and five men’s teams to NJCAA national championships. 

His experience as a coach has provided several opportunities for him to learn how to communicate with players and strengthen his relationships with them.  

“I think the last … around five years, I have become much more appreciative … to just the relationships,” Connell said. “… I made it long enough now that I can talk to someone who used to play for me, and now they’re grown up and have a job, and I can talk to them. That’s the reward.” 

Liberty has been on Connell’s radar after one of his former players, Kalani Soli, transferred to Liberty to finish her college athletic and academic career in 2018. He applied for the coaching position at Liberty after he learned about the job opening, but this job was not the only reason for why Connell felt compelled to come to the mountain. 

“The facilities were great, but every day you get used to them. It was the people that I really wanted to be around. … I really enjoyed them, and I still feel that way,” Connell said. 

The Liberty Women’s Tennis team is made up of seven girls, who Connell said have been a blessing to him. The main point he emphasizes to the Lady Flames is the importance of being united. Connell cultivates an environment for the team in which they consider each other a family and focus on how their decisions affect everybody. 

“It’s easy in life to think that everything that’s happening is happening to me and I’m the center of the story. … The more you get out of that mentality and start thinking about what I do can impact (others),” Connell said. “We are always trying to bring that up, … that culture of how we’re living together and serving each other.”  

Connell said he aims to ensure that his team is having a good time. He reminds his team that they only get a limited number of matches in their college career and that they should enjoy every one of them.  

By coming to Liberty, Connell and his family left behind the life they built in their home state of Texas. However, as they spend more time in their new community, Connell and his family have settled in Lynchburg.  

“It feels more like home all the time,” Connell said. “You get to know more people more and more, and you get more comfortable. … It’s scary moving to a place you never lived. Whenever it wasn’t comfortable, I remember the promise that God made of … this is going to be cool. And so it really gives me a lot of peace. … I’m excited to see (how) the next few years continue to feel like home more and more.” 

Connell says his family, his wife and his three sons, is his main team. When he’s not coaching tennis, he spends most of his time with his kids. All three of his sons play sports, which is why Connell often finds himself at their practices and games when he has time off from tennis. Connell recognized the sacrifice his wife of 19 years made for him in moving to Lynchburg for him to coach at Liberty.  

“Everyone asks me about taking this chance coming to this job, and it’s a partnership …” Connell said. “My wife also had to have that faith that this was something that we were supposed to do, and it’s been really cool to be side by side with your spouse going through this. … It’s not always easy, but it’s been a real blessing to remember that’s our team. She’s my team.” 

Wachowiak is a sports reporter for the Liberty Champion.