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TEMPE, Ariz. – Before becoming the Head Coach of the Georgia men’s tennis program, after a successful collegiate career with the Bulldogs, Jamie Hunt was presented with a very difficult decision as he wrapped up his career as a junior player.
As a top-ranked boys’ tennis recruit in the class of 2006, the San Antonio, native had every school in the country wanting his services. Enjoying the recruiting process while compiling a list of potential suitors, a real frontrunner had yet to emerge for Hunt’s talents.
His father and brother, both Texas alums themselves, pushed for the Longhorns, while Hunt was wowed by USC and thought highly of the Trojans after an official visit out West.
Hunt said, “When I got on campus at Georgia, it was love at first sight. I fell in love with it. I fell in love with the people, the place, and it was just a place where I knew I was going to be happy and knew I was going to be a part of something special.”
It sealed his recruitment. Hunt was a Bulldog on the spot.
Nearly two decades later, he’s now entering his second season as the head coach of his alma mater, replacing the legendary Manuel Diaz following a 46-year run in Athens. It’s always been the Bulldogs for Hunt, who starred on Georgia’s 2007 and 2008 national championship teams before rejoining the coaching staff in 2017 as an associate head coach.
Prior to his return to Athens, he spent seven seasons on the Vanderbilt staff, helping the Commodores to sustained success at the national level. It was as formative of an experience as a 22-year-old Hunt could have ever hoped for. Under Ian Duvenhage, the winningest head coach in Vandy history, Hunt learned firsthand how to build a program and manage relationships with his student-athletes.
And then, as he began to earn acclaim as a top assistant in the nation, Georgia called with an opening on its staff. Diaz had remained a mentor over the years to Hunt and knew exactly who he wanted to fill the vacancy.
“It’s hard for me to talk about Coach Diaz and not get emotional,” Hunt said. “I just love him. I tell him this all the time, but I really owe him my life. He brought me to Georgia where I had the greatest four years of my life. I met my wife [at Georgia] and now look at the life that we have together. We’re very, very blessed.”
“He was an incredible friend to work alongside and just an absolutely amazing mentor to me. I was blessed that he saw a lot in me. From the get go, he gave me a lot of responsibilities and trusted me enough to delegate a lot of those things. And that really, really prepared me as much as I thought I could be to be a head coach. I couldn’t be more thankful for Coach Diaz.”
As soon as he arrived back on campus, Hunt and his family realized they never wanted to leave. Later in the 2023 season, and months before Diaz’s eventual retirement, Hunt once again emerged on the national radar to athletic directors eyeing potential head coaching candidates. The Bulldogs were rolling, boasting a top-five ranking as the reigning SEC champions with Hunt serving as a key piece of the puzzle.
Programs began calling, wondering if he’d be willing to leave his alma mater to accept a head coaching position elsewhere. He took these conversations to his own athletic director, prompting a conversation in which he outlined his love for the Bulldogs, his vision for the future and his desire to one day fill Diaz’s shoes.
“He stopped me right there and said, ‘You’re our guy. You’re gonna be the next head coach at Georgia when that time comes.’”
His time would come just several months later.
Diaz announced his retirement in February 2024, ending a 46-year stretch in Athens dating back to his playing days in the mid 1970s. He spent 36 seasons as head coach, winning four national championships and a pair of ITA National Team Indoor Championships.
One of the premier jobs in the sport now belonged to Hunt, who was officially named head coach on February 27, 2024. From Dan Magill to Diaz to Hunt, the latter became just Georgia’s third head coach in the modern history of the program dating back to 1955.
It’s been a whirlwind of an 18 months for Hunt, who’s soon to embark on his second full season at the helm of the Bulldogs. With each passing day comes an increased sense of comfort and confidence in the way in which he runs his program.
Though, not much has changed in which the Bulldogs operate on a day-to-day basis since his promotion. Over the years, Diaz had quietly tabbed his successor and perfectly prepared him for the opportunity to fill his shoes, from increased responsibilities in coaching, scheduling, recruiting and more.
“I thought I was as prepared as I possibly could be with everything that I was doing before as an associate head coach, with scheduling, with player development, with recruiting. I was lucky that Coach Diaz really trusted me with those things. I felt really prepared.”
“But, I think when you get in the role and you’re sitting in that seat, it’s a little bit different. I think you’re kind of hyperfocusing on every decision that you make. ‘Is this the right one? Should I do this? Should I do that? Should I play this player at two or three?’ You spend a lot of time kind of analyzing every decision. I think heading into year two, there’s just a better comfort level with what’s ahead, for sure.”
Hunt was made to be at Georgia. He was meant to choose the Bulldogs as an 18-year-old recruit coming out of San Antonio and he was destined to return to Athens after he entered the coaching ranks. It has always been, and will always be, the Bulldogs.
Even still, it feels like a fairytale to be here, this time as Georgia’s head man.
“Pinch me,” Hunt said through a smile. “Because this has been the dream. Ever since I came here and started playing here as an 18-year-old, my love for this program has only grown. The position that I’m in now is just a dream come true.”
