Jacqueline Bagwell

Jacqueline Bagwell was a standout tennis and basketball player at Haworth High School, graduating in 1980.  She participated during the early years of girls’ sports being recognized by the Indiana High School Athletic Association.

After graduating, she played tennis at Columbus State for three seasons before leading the University of Texas-Permian Basin to an NAIA national tournament appearance.

But it was coaching where Bagwell left her mark. Following a short stint at Hamilton College, she was named the head coach of Amherst College in Massachusetts in 1991, and in her first 27 seasons, Bagwell amassed a record of 430-109, including 21 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division III national women’s tennis tournament.

In 1999, Bagwell led Amherst to the school’s first-ever NCAA national championship in any sport. In a thrilling 5-2 contest, Amherst defeated Williams College to complete a perfect 19-0 season and the NCAA Division III national title.

During her career at Amherst, Bagwell has produced two singles and six doubles national champions, and she was named the Boston Area Coach of the Year at the Boston Sports Awards in 2000. In 2011, she was honored as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Northeast Coach of the Year.