Tanner Stump

Tanner Stump

Associate Head Coach – Sixth Season

Head coach Bryan Shelton announced the promotion of Tanner Stump to associate head coach in July of 2019.

Florida men's tennis head coach Bryan Shelton announced the hiring of Tanner Stump as assistant coach on June 16, 2016. Stump came to UF following two seasons as assistant coach at Mississippi State, his alma mater, where he was named the 2016 ITA Southern Region Assistant Coach of the Year.

In Stump’s six seasons at Florida, he has helped guide the Gators to a 130-32 overall record, one NCAA title, two NCAA singles title (Ben Shelton - 2022; Sam Riffice - 2021), three SEC titles, one SEC Tournament title and five NCAA Tournament appearances, gradually improving their run each season (Sweet 16 in 2017, Elite 8 in 2018, Final 4 in 2019 and national champions in 2021). In 2022, Stump helped lead the team to the NCAA Quarterfinals and was named the Southeast Region ITA Assistant Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year. After the team’s historic run in the NCAA tournament, Stump was named ITA Assistant Coach of the Year. The teams have also compiled a 45-7 record in the SEC, including a perfect 12-0 in 2019 & 2021 and the first SEC Championship for Florida since 2005 in 2019.  He has coached seven players to a total of 21 All-American honors in six years and has also helped produce top recruiting classes during his stint at Florida.
 
He has also coached Florida athletes to two SEC Freshman of the Year honors (Oliver Crawford and Sam Riffice), an SEC Player of the Year (Ben Shelton), an ITA National Player of the Year (Shelton) and 23 All-SEC accolades over the years.
 
"I'm really excited to welcome Tanner Stump to our coaching staff," Shelton said. "Tanner will provide our program with his expertise in player development and recruiting. Tanner will be instrumental in continuing to build on the culture we have established here, and he will provide a great example for our guys to follow. Tanner is one of the most well-respected coaches in our industry and we are fortunate that he and his wife Chelsea have decided to join our family here at UF."
 
The Bradenton, Fla., native brings five years of coaching experience to the Florida staff, including three NCAA Tournament appearances. His teams have gone a combined 92-42 (.687) over his coaching career.
 
"I am very excited and blessed to become a part of the University of Florida athletics program," Stump said. "The overall brand of the university speaks for itself, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of it. To have the chance to also work with Bryan and build on the foundation that he and Mark [Merklein] have created over the last few years is immensely exciting, and I can't wait to get things started. I look forward to the challenge of helping continue to lead a perennial top-10 program to great success."
 
Stump helped the Bulldogs to a 38-17 record during his two seasons as an assistant coach, with both season culminating in NCAA Tournament appearances. He helped MSU to a Round of 16 finish in the 2016 NCAAs and a second-round appearance in 2015. He coached seven All-SEC players in his two seasons on staff.
 
Prior to his tenure in Starkville, Stump worked as an assistant coach at Furman University, where the Paladins posted a 16-9 record in 2014 and appeared in the finals of the Southern Conference Tournament.
 
Stump got his coaching start at Middle Tennessee State, helping the Blue Raiders to a pair of 19-win seasons. His first season was highlighted by a Sun Belt Tournament Championship and a berth in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. MTSU again advanced to the conference tournament final in 2013. In his two seasons in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Stump coached seven All-Sun Belt selections, while the team earned ITA All-Academic Team honors both seasons.
 
As a player, Stump was a four-time letterwinner at MSU from 2008-11, and helped the Bulldogs capture the SEC West crown, reaching a top-20 ITA national team ranking as a senior in 2011. Stump earned SEC All-Academic Honors all four seasons at and received the Newsom Scholar-Athlete Award as a junior and senior, signifying the highest GPA in the program. He also earned placement on the SEC Community Service Team as a junior, recognizing his commitment to the local community.
 
Stump graduated from MSU in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in business. He is married to the former Chelsea Taylor, also from Bradenton.
 
Stump took the place of Mark Merklein, who stepped down as assistant coach after three years at the end of the 2016 season.

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