Bert Poole has served as the head coach of Averett University's men's and women's tennis program since July 2015.
Averett's tennis resurgence continued in 2017-18 as the men's team earned a regional ranking while finishing 14-6 overall and 7-3 in the conference en route to a USA South Conference Tournament semifinals appearance. On the women's side that season, the Cougars continued to make strides as they won eight matches overall, including seven in the league. Between the two teams, he coached three all-conference selections, including three-time USA South Player of the Year Heidi Sarkkinen, who was regionally ranked in singles after going undefeated for the third consecutive spring and was named the 2018 Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) State Player of the Year.
The following season in 2018-19, Sarkkinen became only the second player in conference history to earn USA South Player of the Year all four years as Poole's Cougars went 13-6 (6-2 conference) in one of the best seasons in the program's recent history. Sarkkinen repeated as VaSID State Player of the Year. Averett advanced to the USA South Tournamnet semifinals. meanwhile, on the men's side, Poole mentored Averett to another solid 10-win season and another conference semifinals appearance. Between the men's and women's teams, Poole coached five all-conference performers.
Poole's 2019-20 teams were poised to continue their successful trend, but their seasons were cut short. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced all teams nationally to end the season, Averett's men's team was 5-0 and the women's team was 4-0. Still, Poole was rewarded as the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) State Coach of the Year for men's tennis, and he had one male and female student-athlete each earn all-state recognition.
Poole's coaching success continued in 2021 as he guided the men's program to a second-place finish in the USA South East Division while also beating three Division II teams. He coached three all-conference selections, including Jorge Figueroa, who was one of 32 selected nationally to play in the 2021 NCAA Division III men's tennis individual championships. On the women's side, he also coached three all-conference selections. During the 2021 season, Poole eclipsed 100 combined career wins between the men's and women's programs.
In 2022, he guided the women's program to its first conference title of any kind in more than 20 years while coaching both the men's and women's program to conference tournament championship match appearances in their final seasons in the USA South.
In 2023, Averett moved to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and Poole's men's team finished as the ODAC Tournament runner-up, with the women's team finishing third in the regular season. Between the two teams, he produced five singles and three doubles all-conference selections as well as the 2023 ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Scholar Athlete of the Year for men's tennis.
2024 was the best combined season thus far for both the men's and women's teams. The two squads finished as ODAC tournament runner-ups, with the women's side taking a point off of then No. 9 nationally ranked Washington and Lee in the championship. He coached six singles and and five doubles all-conference selections, by far the most combined in his Averett tenure. For the second year straight, he coached the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Scholar Athlete of the Year for men's tennis. The women's team flourished under Poole, breaking through to their highest known ranking in recorded history at No. 36. Their 15 wins are the most under his tenure, and knocked off two ranked teams over the season, including then No. 49 ranked Gustavus Adolphus and No. 49 ranked Sweet Briar. Freshman Jennika Jaison achieved a top-10 regional ranking, and won ODAC Player of the Week honors on April 1. During the 2024 season, Poole reached the 100-win mark for the men's program.
Poole and company one-upped the success of 2024 with his best men's tennis season since taking over as head coach. The 2025 campaign saw men's tennis go back into the national ranks for the first time since 2000, reaching as high as No. 33, won four nationally ranked matches, and upset Washington and Lee University in the ODAC championship. The Cougars won a postseason match and advanced to the second round of the national tournament. For his team's success, Poole won ODAC Coach of the Year, his first honor since joining the conference, and first since winning the award on the women's side in 2022 back in the USA South. Poole also garnered the Virginia Sports Information Directors College Division Coach of the Year, and 10 players from both sides earned All-State honors. On the women's end, the team was ranked as high at No. 37 early in the season, and advanced to the conference tournament championship before falling to Washington and Lee. One player in particular, Siddhi Khandelwal, achieved a ranked win, besting then No. 30/19 Allie Murrell from Washington and Lee. For the third consecutive year, Poole coached the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Scholar Athlete of the Year for men's tennis. Overall, Poole saw seven singles and three doubles teams win all-conference. While less from previous years, Poole did coach freshmen Ravaka Ramanantoanina and Florian Bert to the ODAC Rookie of the Year and Co-Rookie of the Year honors, respectively, the first time he has done so since the school joined the ODAC.
Poole has steadily grown Averett's tennis programs back into conference contenders since his arrival. In his first year at Averett, Poole coached the men's team to one of its best seasons in program history. The Cougars finished 14-4 overall and achieved as high as a No. 19 ranking in the region. The women's program also flourished under his tutelage. The Averett women finished with six overall victories, the most by the program in more than a decade. Poole coached Sarkkinen, the USA South's 2016 Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, who went 16-0 at No. 1 singles and earned a regional ranking. Poole produced four all-conference performers — two on the men’s side and two on the women’s side.
During Poole's second season at the helm in 2016-17, the men's program finished as the USA South Conference Tournament runner-up after finishing second during the regular season. Meanwhile, he coached the women's team to its best conference record in 16 years. On the men's side, the Cougars earned a team regional ranking for the second year in a row, with its top doubles team also earning a regional ranking. He coached two all-conference performers, including the 2017 USA South Rookie of the Year. On the women's side, he coached two all-conference selections as well, including the 2017 USA South Player of the Year in Sarkkinen, who went undefeated during the spring season for the second consecutive year.
Poole previously served as the assistant men’s and women’s tennis coach at Division II University of Mount Olive from November 2012 until taking the position at Averett. Poole was named Division II Men's Tennis Southeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association following the 2015 season. While at Mount Olive, Poole has helped the Trojans produce back-to-back unbeaten records in Conference Carolinas regular season play and consecutive Conference Carolinas championships on the men’s side. Mount Olive also earned a berth into the NCAA Southeast Regional both years.
Poole is a USPTA Certified Tennis Professional with an Elite (highest) rating and has attained a Level I Sports Science Certification from the USTA. In addition, he is certified by the USTA High Performance Coaching Program. During his 30-year career, Poole has served as the tennis director at several country clubs. He also was the men’s tennis head coach at Guilford College from 2006-2007 and helped the team improve to a 10-6 mark after going 0-11 the previous season.
A native of Aston, Pennsylvania, Poole earned his degree in history from Mount Olive in 2013.
| BERT POOLE'S YEAR-BY-YEAR COACHING RESULTS - MEN'S TENNIS |
| Season |
Overall |
Conference |
Finish |
Postseason |
| 2015-16 |
14-4 |
8-2 |
3rd |
USA South Conference Tournament semifinals |
| 2016-17 |
12-6 |
7-2 |
T-2nd East |
USA South Conference Tournament finals |
| 2017-18 |
14-6 |
7-3 |
3rd East |
USA South Conference Tournament semifinals |
| 2018-19 |
10-7 |
5-4 |
4th East |
USA South Conference Tournament semifinals |
| 2019-20 |
5-0 |
0-0 |
n/a |
Season halted early (COVID-19) |
| 2020-21 |
10-6 |
4-1 |
2nd East |
USA South East Division finals |
| 2021-22 |
14-5 |
6-1 |
2nd East |
USA South Conference Tournament finals |
| 2022-23 |
14-5 |
8-1 |
2nd |
ODAC Tournament runners-up |
| 2023-24 |
10-8 |
7-2 |
2nd |
ODAC Tournament runners-up |
| 2024-25 |
17-5 |
8-1 |
2nd |
ODAC Tournament Champions; NCAA Second Round |
| Totals |
120-52
(.698) |
60-17
(.779) |
|
|
| BERT POOLE'S YEAR-BY-YEAR COACHING RESULTS - WOMEN'S TENNIS |
| Season |
Overall |
Conference |
Finish |
Postseason |
| 2015-16 |
6-11 |
4-8 |
9th |
— |
| 2016-17 |
7-9 |
4-3 |
4th East |
USA South Conference Tournament quarterfinals |
| 2017-18 |
8-10 |
4-4 |
4th East |
USA South Conference Tournament quarterfinals |
| 2018-19 |
13-6 |
6-2 |
3rd East |
USA South Conference Tournament semifinals |
| 2019-20 |
4-0 |
0-0 |
n/a |
Season halted early (COVID-19) |
| 2020-21 |
9-6 |
4-2 |
3rd East |
— |
| 2021-22 |
14-5 |
9-0 |
1st East |
USA South Conference East Division champions; USA South Conference Tournament finals |
| 2022-23 |
14-4 |
8-2 |
3rd |
ODAC Tournament semifinals |
| 2023-24 |
15-6 |
9-1 |
2nd |
ODAC Tournament runners-up |
| 2024-25 |
16-5 |
9-1 |
2nd |
ODAC Tournament runners-up |
| Totals |
106-62
(.631) |
57-23
(.713) |
|
|
| COACHING HIGHLIGHTS |
| • 2025 ODAC Coach of the Year (men's) |
| • 2020/2025 Virginia Sports Information Directors State Coach of the Year (men's) |
| • 2022 USA South Conference Coach of the Year (women's) |
| • 2022 USA South Conference East Division regular season championship (women's) |
| • 60 All-Conference selections (28 men/ 32 women) |
| • 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019 USA South Conference Women's Player of the Year |
| • 2016 USA South Conference Women's Rookie of the Year |
| • 2017 USA South Conference Men's Rookie of the Year |
| • 2018 & 2019 Virginia Sports Information Directors Women's State Player of the Year |
| • 2021 NCAA Division III men's tennis individual championship singles participant |
| • Men's team national ranking (2025) |
| • Women's team national ranking (2024, 2025) |
| • Men's team regional ranking (2016, 2017, 2018, 2022) |
| • Women's team regional ranking (2022, 2024) |
| • Men's doubles regional ranking (2017, 2022, 2023) |
| • Women's doubles regional ranking (2024) |
| • Men's individual ranking (2023) |
| • Women's individual ranking (2016, 2018, 2019, 2024) |
| • 1 ITA Division III National Player of the Week |
| • 3 ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Scholar Athletes of the Year (men's) |
| • 16 Conference Players of the Week |
| • 22 Conference Rookies of the Week |
| • 8 Conference Doubles Team of the Week |
| • 12 Academic All-District |
| • 48 Virginia Sports Information Directors All-State |
*Last updated 6/24/2025
