PASADENA, Calif. – Nyssa Peele will lead the Caltech women's tennis program as its new Head Coach, the Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation announced Wednesday.
"I am thrilled for the chance to join the Caltech Athletics family," Peele said. "I want to sincerely thank Betsy Mitchell and the search committee for providing me this tremendous opportunity to work at one of the top academic institutions in the world. I have so much respect for the student-athletes at Caltech, and I am honored for the chance to work with them, and to help contribute to the athletic department's continued growth. I can't wait to get started!"
Peele received her bachelor's degree from Texas State University and earned her master's degree at the University of Glasgow Christie's Education in London. She previously served as an assistant coach in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SCIAC) for three seasons, notably leading the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's tennis team to its first national title in 2017-18. The Athenas reached the national championship again the following year as Peele earned the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division III West Region Assistant Coach of the Year Award and was one of four finalists for the National Assistant Coach of the Year Award. Peele's impact at CMS remained, as several players she recruited had key roles in back-to-back national titles for the Athenas in 2022 and 2023, while eight players she helped coach ended up earning All-America honors.
With Cal Lutheran in 2022-23, Peele helped the Regals achieve some milestones as well. The program qualified its first player into the NCAA Division III Singles Championship and earned a national ranking.
Peele became a head coach for the first time with Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, covering both the men's and women's programs and leading both to national rankings, runner-up finishes in the SCAC Tournament, and the third men's All-American singles player in program history. The 15 wins earned by the Southwestern men was one of the highest-ever totals for a woman coaching a Division III men's tennis team.
Peele was a high-level tennis player throughout her youth, ranking No. 101 in the nation in the Class of 2006 as a senior at St. Stephen's in Austin, Texas (moving up from 197 as a sophomore to 176 as a junior). She played four years at the NCAA Division I level, beginning her collegiate career at the University of Rhode Island, where she played No. 1 singles and earned all-conference honors. She then transferred to Texas State for her final two seasons, where she earned all-conference distinction again and had a 16-1 record as a senior, ending her career on a 15-match winning streak.
