19 April 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Dave Hawley arrived at Wichita Collegiate School in the mid-1970s. He led the Spartans to their first state championship in tennis in 1976.
After 37 years and 58 state titles, Coach Hawley is retiring this spring with more state championships under his belt than any coach in any other sport in Kansas state high school history.
It’s not often you come across a sports complex named for an active coach. Then again, Hawley is more than a tennis coach.
“It’s not just Dave the tennis coach. He also teaches history here in the middle school. Does a fabulous job there. He’s well-respected in every facet of our school community,” said Wichita Collegiate Athletic Director Mitch Fiegel.
Coach Hawley is an institution at Collegiate and a legend in the tennis community. His Spartan girls and boys teams have combined to win 59 state championships. He’s coached 35 singles state champs and 47 more doubles state champions.
Hawley says he realized last fall that it’s time to retire.
“Ready to let somebody else do it. It’s been a wonderful ride. It’s a good time and a good opportunity. You’ve got kids coming in both programs. So, the cupboards are full, and it’s a good time for somebody else to step in and really take over the reins,” said Hawley, who started teaching at Collegiate at the age of 24.
Hawley says during his first few years at Collegiate, he looked around for other jobs, but the longer he stayed.
“The more I fell in love with it. All three of my kids went to school here. I have five grandkids here now. Will have six in the fall and one in another three years,” said Hawley. “It’s been wonderful having them here. So, it’s just become another extension of our family. A very deep part of our family.”
Fiegel has known Coach Hawley for 34 years.
“The most impressive thing about Dave is his work ethic. I think a lot of people think just because Dave’s been here at a private school that, these tennis players just roll in. And you know what? They do, but Dave creates those players,” he said.
So, what’s the secret behind Collegiate’s tennis legacy?
“I think the fact years ago, we built a culture for tennis. And the fact I’ve run a summer program for 40 years where we get little kids on the court, and we’ll introduce them to tennis. And then I think a big part of it really is Wichita. Wichita is a tennis town,” said Hawley.
Rather than talk about his 59 state championship teams, Coach Hawley prefers to give credit to all his players through the years.
“I mean, the titles are wonderful, and I know they’re meaningful to the school. They’re meaningful to me. Meaningful to the kids, but the bigger picture to me is just being around amazing people,” explained Hawley.
“You know, state championships. You don’t just stumble into those. You work. You manufacture them. He’s proven to have the ability to do that better than anybody in the state for a long time,” added Fiegel.
“I give God all the glory for putting me here and giving me a chance to grow as a coach. To meet kids, be with kids who are industrious and families who are supportive. All of that is a big part of it,” said Hawley. “I’ve been blessed. Incredibly blessed to have that.”
The current boys’ tennis team would like nothing more than to send Coach Hawley into retirement with his 60th state championship. The Class 3-1A State Tournament is May 12-13 at Wichita Collegiate.
While Hawley plans to retire from varsity coaching, he plans to continue to teach middle school history and coach the middle school tennis team for one more year.