Brett Barnett was hired in December of 2014 and the 2023-24 season will be his 12th as South Dakota’s head women’s tennis coach.
Under Barnett, South Dakota has reached the Summit League tournament championship match four times, in 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2024.
The Coyotes had arguably their best season under Barnett in 2023-2024, finishing 5-1 in league play for second place and then advancing to the Summit League tourney title match. The 12 dual wins were the most for the team under Barnett. Four Coyotes earned All-Summit League honors as Bea Havlickova and Anna Medvyedyeva were named to the first team and Selena Bird and Amanda de Oliveira were honorable mention selections. Medvyedyeva teamed with Grace Chadick to set the single season school record for doubles wins with 22. Bird was named to the Academic All-Summit League team and was an Academic All-District selection along with Havlickova.
South Dakota posted its first back-to-back double figure win seasons under Barnett with a 10-9 campaign in 2024-2025. Havlickova was named first team All-Summit for the third team and Chadick earned first team honors for the first time. Havlickova closed her career second on the school's all-time singles wins chart with 66 and as the school's career doubles victories leader with 61. Chadick produced a 22-5 senior season in singles for the second highest winning percentage in single season history (.815). Havlickova was named to the Academic All-Summit League team while four Coyotes were honored as College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selections - Bird, Havlickova, de Oliveira and Sorcha Caves.
South Dakota produced one of its best seasons under Barnett in 2021-2022, tying for second in the Summit League regular season and then advancing to the league tourney title match after defeating Oral Roberts in the semifinals. Habiba Aly was named the Summit League Player of the Year and was joined on the All-Summit Team by Jana Lazarevic, a three-time honoree. The 11 dual wins matched the most under Barnett and came on the heels of an injury-plagued 2020-21 season and a COVID shortened 2019-20 season. Aly, for the third time, and Lazarevic a second time, were named to the Academic All-Summit League team. Aly went on to earn CoSIDA All-District and third-team All-American Academic honors, the first tennis player in school history to be named an Academic All-American.
In 2015-16, Barnett’s second year with the team, he led the Coyotes to a 4-2 mark in Summit League play. The team was the second seed at the Summit League Tournament, its highest seed since joining the League in 2011. Yuliya Sidenko, Ellie Burns and Elise van Zijst were named to the All-Summit Team. During the regular season, USD also beat two-time defending Horizon League Champion Youngstown State.
During the 2016-17 campaign, Barnett led USD to its second year as a No. 2 seed in the Summit League Tournament and finished runner-up at the championships, a program-best since joining the league in 2012. Three Coyotes earned All-Summit team honors during Barnett’s third season, including Burns, Barbora Kollarova and Nanette Nylund.
Barnett brought USD to its second-consecutive Summit League Tournament finals match in 2018 and where the Coyotes finished runner-up. He had two All-Summit team honorees, Kollarova and freshman Jana Lazarevic. Kollarova also earned Academic All-League.
The Coyotes battled injuries during the 2019 season to still qualify for the Summit League Tournament. Jana Lazarevic earned All-Summit League honors.
In 11 seasons as South Dakota head coach, Barnett has had 19 players earn All-Summit League honors and eight have been named to the Academic All-Summit League team.
Before coming to South Dakota, Barnett spent three years as a coach at Fort Wayne and handled all coaching duties for the men's program. In 2012 and 2014, Barnett was named the Summit League Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year.
In 2012, his first season with the Dons, he led the team to its first winning season at the DI level and to a share of the Summit League regular season title. He also coached three players to all-Summit League honors.
In addition to coaching, Barnett is a USPTA P-1 Certified teaching professional and has worked at various tennis clubs around the U.S.
Barnett and his wife, Julie, have two daughters, Annika and Mia.
| Institution |
Year(s) |
Record |
| Fort Wayne |
2011-12 |
12-11 (Regular season co-champions; Men’s Coach of the Year) |
| Fort Wayne |
2012-13 |
9-17 |
| Fort Wayne |
2013-14 |
19-9 (Summit League Tournament Finals; Men’s Coach of the Year) |
| South Dakota |
2014-15 |
8-11 |
| South Dakota |
2015-16 |
11-12 |
| South Dakota |
2016-17 |
9-15 (Summit League Tournament Finals) |
| South Dakota |
2017-18 |
10-12 (Summit League Tournament Finals) |
| South Dakota |
2018-19 |
7-12 |
| South Dakota |
2019-20 |
1-9 |
| South Dakota |
2020-21 |
5-9 |
| South Dakota |
2021-22 |
11-12 (Summit League Tournament Finals) |
| South Dakota |
2022-23 |
4-15 |
| South Dakota |
2023-24 |
12-10 (Summit League Tournament Finals) |
| South Dakota |
2024-25 |
10-9 |
| Overall Record: |
14 seasons |
128-163 (89-127 at South Dakota) |
