FRANKLIN – Ryan Hammer '15 has been appointed as the head coach of the Franklin women's tennis team, with Director of Athletics Lance Marshall announcing the appointment on Thursday (Jan. 16).
 
Hammer takes the women's team under his wing after serving as the interim head coach in the fall. He has been a fixture with both Grizzly tennis programs, starting off as an assistant in 2015 and taking over as men's head coach back in 2022.
 
In his first season leading the men's tennis team, Hammer was named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Coach of the Year after leading Franklin to the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament. Last season saw the Grizzlies advance to the semifinals of the HCAC Tournament for the first time since 2018, with Hammer earning the first post-season win of his career in the quarterfinals against Hanover in the program's first victory over the Panthers since 2015.
 
Hammer has 21 wins as head coach of the men's team as they get ready for the spring, coaching seven all-conference selections in his first two seasons. In the classroom, Hammer's Grizzlies have been named ITA All-Academic Team in each of the last two years with 17 players earning ITA Scholar Athlete status.
 
Joining the Franklin family as Hammer's assistant coach is Jenna Kuntz. No stranger to the HCAC, Kuntz was a four-year player for the Anderson Ravens from 2019-23 and ranks fourth all-time in program history with 33 singles wins in addition to racking up 29 doubles victories, which is tied for seventh-most in program history.
 
Kuntz was named all-conference in both 2021 and 2022 and was named ITA Scholar Athlete in each of her four years with the team. The Edinburgh, Ind.-native graduated in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in nursing.
 
Franklin begins their spring schedule on Feb. 23, hosting Kentucky Wesleyan at Grizzly Park. Start time will be announced at a later date.