Head Coach
John Machak
Entering fourth season at LHU: 3-17 at LHU
Coach John Machak will enter his third season at the helm for the Bald Eagles with a team full of potential. Ahead of the individual championship season, Machak leads a young squad looking to contend with the PSAC’s best.
The 2021-22 Season:
Machak and the Bald Eagles took another step forward in the 2021-22 season as the program notched its first wins since being reintroduced as a varsity sport in 2019. The three wins included PSAC foe East Stroudsburg and local opponents Penn College and Lycoming.
Individually, under Machak's guidance Maddy Reeves turned in a strong season notching eight individual wins, and was named the PSAC East Athlete of the Week on April 20, becoming the first LHU woman to win the award since the program's return. The doubles duo of Reeves and Mia Shuler was also strong for the Bald Eagles and racked up six wins as a pair.
In the classroom, Machak's squad placed five student-athletes on the PSAC Scholar Athlete list, to qualify the athlete must have maintained a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 upon completion of the academic year.
More on Machak's Tenure:
In the spring of 2021, Machak and his team returned to action and competed for the first time in over a year. Despite the hiatus, coach Machak quickly re-established the early successes of 2019. Notably, standout Maddy Reeves recorded the first No. 1 singles win since the program’s return to intercollegiate competition against Millersville (Apr 16.)
In the fall of 2019, women’s tennis returned to varsity status for the first time since 1992. Under the leadership of first-season head coach John Machak, the Bald Eagles went 0-2 after narrowly losing to Penn College (4-5). The match displayed some early prowess for Machak and a young team.
Headlining that 2019 squad were Delani Wolever and Hailey Risley who both qualified for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships under the leadership of Machak.
A full Q&A Feature of Machak’s first year as a head coach at LHU can be found
HERE.
A Deeper Look at Coach Machak:
John Machak a central Pennsylvania native, has been named Lock Haven University's new head women's tennis coach.
From 1968 to 1992, LHU sponsored women's tennis and in August (2018), LHU announced plans to reintroduce the sport.
The hire of Machak, who has spent the last three years coaching at the NCAA Division III level, marks the beginning of a new era for LHU athletics.
Most recently, Machak coached at nearby Penn College in Williamsport where he served as the head coach for both the men's and women's programs.
In 2018, Machak led the DIII Penn College men's program to a successful season. He led a pair of student-athletes to individual titles at their respective positions. Following that success, Machak was named the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Coach of the Year, becoming the first Penn College coach in program history to earn coach of the year honors in the sport of tennis. On the women's side last spring, he led one player to All-NEAC honors.
In all, Machak coached four First-Team All-Conference players, five Second-Team players, and one Third-Team student-athlete while at Penn College.
Prior to his time at Penn College, Machak coached at the high school level and he has an extensive playing background, which includes three decades of playing experience in leagues and United States Tennis Association (USTA) level tournaments in central Pennsylvania. He earned a Bachelor of Science in administration and education from Bloomsburg, before obtaining a master's degree in financial planning from the University of Missouri.
*Updated August 2021
