JANUARY 12, 2006 ¨C STATE COLLEGE, PA ¨C The Nittany Lion men¡¯s tennis team will see a new face on their coaching staff this spring as Atlanta native Dan Holman joins head coach Bill Potoczny in instructing the Lions.

Holman comes to Penn State just a year following his January 2005 graduation from the USA Tennis High Performance Coaching Program in Key Biscayne, Fla. He is also certified with the United States Professional Tennis Association and the Professional Tennis Registry. He has been teaching tennis for over five years, and for the last two and a half years, has served as the Director of Advanced Juniors at Cape Fear Country Club in Wilmington, N.C.

¡°Dan has a great deal of experience working with high level players, which compliments his outstanding background as a competitor and our athletes will benefit from the passion and commitment he will bring to the team,¡± said Potoczny who replaced longtime coach Jan Bortner in the fall as head coach. ¡°I know Dan is excited about the opportunity to work in a college team setting. He will make the transition very quickly."

Holman earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/Marketing from Appalachian State University (Boone, N.C.) in May 2001. He excelled at the college level, playing No. 1 singles and doubles for the Mountaineers, and earning All-Southern Conference accolades in 2001 for his doubles play.

As a singles player in high school, Holman was ranked as high as Top 5 in the state of Georgia, winning three state championships at Atlanta¡¯s Marist School in 1994, ¡®96 and ¡®97. He boasted a Top-30 ranking in the South, as well as a national ranking during his stellar high school career.

"I am excited for the opportunity to be involved with such a prestigious institution like Penn State,¡± said Holman. ¡°Previous coaches and players before me have laid the foundation for a nationally recognized tennis program that competes in the highly competitive Big Ten Conference. Working alongside of head coach Bill Potoczny will be an honor, and the future looks bright for the Penn State men's tennis program."

The Nittany Lions will open their spring season under the direction of Potoczny and Holman on Saturday, February 11 at the Sarni Tennis Center in University Park, Pa. as Penn State hosts St. Bonaventure at 10 a.m. and Bloomsburg at 5 p.m.