John Hirte was named the Director of Athletics in July 2022. Hirte steps into the role after serving as an assistant director of athletics since 2017. He becomes the 10th director in department history.
"I'm thrilled to step into this role as the next Director of Athletics at Covenant," said Hirte. "I want to thank Dr. J. Derek Halvorson, Dr. Brad Voyles, and the search committee for offering me this opportunity. I also want to thank Dr. Tim Sceggel for providing me constant opportunities for growth as an athletic administrator over the past 10 years. I look forward to leading the life-changing work that's going on within our department of using intercollegiate athletics as a means of growing our student-athletes in their love and knowledge of Jesus."
An alumnus and a longtime staffer at Covenant, Hirte has spent the last 10 years as one of the top tennis coaches in the region and was elevated to assistant director of athletics in May 2017.
Holding administrative responsibilities since 2012, Hirte excelled and was promoted to assistant director in 2017. His oversight included compliance and facilities along with serving on the senior leadership team under previous director Dr. Tim Sceggel.
"Throughout my time working in the athletic department, I've been grateful to work for and alongside a group of coaches and ADs who have modeled well what it looks like to maintain an excellent knowledge of sport and intercollegiate athletics with a passion for discipleship," added Hirte.
The 2024-25 season was Hirte's 13th as head coach of the men's and women's tennis teams at Covenant College.
FAST FACTS
- Years at Covenant: 13 (2012-present)
- Overall record (men and women): 258-177 (.524)
- Men's overall record: 125-117 (.517)
- Men's conference record: 61-25 (.709)
- Women's overall record: 133-117 (.532)
- Women's conference record: 74-27 (.732)
- Men's conference regular season titles: 4 (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022 - USA South West Division)
- Men's conference tournament titles: 2 (2023, 2024 - CCS Tournament Champions
- Women's conference regular season titles: 1 (2017 - USA South West Division)
AWARDS
- Three-time USA South Men's Tennis Coach of the Year (2015, 2017, 2021)
- USA South Women's Tennis Coach of the Year (2016)
MEN'S PROGRAM ACCOLADES
- 1 USA South Player of the Year (Matthew Harvie, 2016)
- 1 CCS Player of the Year (Ben Onufrock, 2025)
- 11 All-USA South honorees
- 10 All-CCS honorees
- 15 All-USA South West Division choices
- 36 USA South All-Academic honorees (through 2021-22)
- 4 USA South Team Sportsmanship Awards
- 4 weeks in ITA Region rankings (2018)
- 9 weeks in ITA Region individual rankings (Matthew Harvie, 2016-18)
- Back-to-back undefeated regular seasons in USA South play (2021, 2022)
WOMEN'S PROGRAM ACCOLADES
- 9 All-USA South honorees
- 7 All-CCS honorees
- 12 All-USA South West Division choices
- 1 CCS Rookie of the Year
- 48 USA South All-Academic honorees (through 2021-22)
- 5 weeks in ITA Region rankings (2016, 2017)
- 1 week in NCAA Region rankings (2016)
- 19-match USA South regular season win streak (Feb. 27, 2016-March 23, 2018)
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
The 2024-25 season saw Men's Tennis, led by CCS Player of the Year Ben Onufrock and standout sophomore Caleb Domkowski, go 13-7 and 6-1 in league play. Covenant's postseason success it had the last two years did not pan out this go around as Covenant fell to Piedmont in the Semifinals. The women's team went 4-15, led by All-CCS performer Lauren Carr.
In the 2023-24 season, Hirte guided both teams again to the CCS Tournament championship. The men's team defeated Piedmont to win its second straight title. Overall for the season, Covenant was 13-11 and put four players on the All-Conference teams. The women's team finished the year with an 11-9 mark and a 6-1 record in CCS play. In the Championship match, Covenant fell to Piedmont. They had three players earn All-CCS recognition.
In the 2022-2023 season, The Covenant Men's Tennis team had an impressive season, finishing with a record of 18-7 and a winning percentage of .720. The Scots were undefeated in conference play, dominating the competition in the CCS. This led to the Scots winning the CCS Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Hirte coached the CCS Rookie of the Year in Ben Onufrock. Covenant Women's Tennis concluded their season by reaching the finals of the Collegiate Conference of the South Tournament on April 29th. Overall, the women's team had a great season, finishing with a record of 15-8 and a winning percentage of .652. The Scots displayed remarkable form by winning 10 out of their last 12 games. Addi Gunyon was named CCS Rookie of the Year.
In 2021-2022, Hirte's squads both recorded winning seasons. The men's team captured a second straight USA South West Division title with a perfect 6-0 record, while finishing 12-6 overall. It was the second consecutive undefeated season in conference play for the Scots. The women's team rebounded with an 11-10 overall record, while Hirte claimed his 100th career coaching win on the women's side.
Hirte's teams rebounded from a COVID-shortened 2020 season with strong 2021 campaigns. The Covenant men claimed their third USA South West Division title since 2017 after going 5-0 in conference play and 13-6 overall. The men advanced to the USA South Tournament championship match for the first time, while Hirte was named the USA South Coach of the Year. Ben Luke and Austin Dreslinski earned first team All-USA South honors and led four Scots on All-USA South West teams. The women also had a strong year going 10-6 overall and 4-2 in league play. Gillian Bosko and Madelyn Savage were strong at the top and earned USA South Doubles Team of the Week twice before earning All-West first team honors.
The 2016-17 season was a banner year for both programs as the men and women collected regular season USA South West Division titles. The women finished 7-0 in league play to win the division outright and were the runner-up in the USA South Tournament. The men finished 7-1 in league play to share the title but earned the No. 1 seed from the division in the USA South Tournament. The men's team set a program record with 12 victories during the year. Hirte was named USA South Coach of the Year on the men's side, while two players on the men's team earned All-USA South with three women's players collecting honors. The men's team also won the USA South Team Sportsmanship Award for the second time in program history.
The success continued in the 2017-18 season. On the men's side, Hirte's squad collected a new program record 15 wins and clinched a second consecutive USA South West Division title. The team garnered a region ranking from the ITA for the first time and went as high as 17th in the poll.
In 2015-16, Hirte's women's team went 15-6, including an 11-1 mark in the USA South, and was regionally ranked for the first time. The 15 wins were the second-most in program history and the .714 winning percentage was a program record. In the same year on the men's side, Hirte's No. 1 player Matthew Harvie earned a region ranking for the first time and was selected as the USA South Player of the Year.
In his second year of guiding the Covenant programs, he led the women's team to a program-record 16 victories and an appearance in the USA South tournament semifinals. Hirte's women's team had two USA South All-Conference performers. On the men's side, Hirte's team snapped a long losing streak as they continued to show vast improvement.
QUOTABLE
"I am extremely excited about the opportunity to begin my coaching career at Covenant, a place where I have had a wonderful four years as a student, and as an athlete," Hirte said at the time of his hiring. "I hope to bring growth and stability to the tennis program as we aim to achieve more success in the years to come."
PLAYING CAREER
Hirte was a successful player while he was a student at Covenant. He won numerous accolades including GSAC Player of the Year in 2012 for going undefeated in singles play during his senior season, NCCAA First Team All-American status (2012), and NCCAA Scholar Athlete honors. He was also instrumental in Covenant's only trip to the NCCAA National Tournament in 2010.
In his collegiate career, Hirte won 40 dual match singles matches which ranks fifth all-time in program history.
Before arriving at Covenant as a student-athlete, Hirte was an accomplished high school player in his hometown of Maple Grove, Minn. Hirte lettered six times in tennis and four times in basketball, was a conference champion his junior season and a Minnesota state quarterfinalist his senior year. After concluding his Covenant career and graduating with a major in history and a minor in coaching, Hirte was hired as head coach for the upcoming season.
FAMILY
Hirte and his wife, Claire, were married in August of 2013 and they have two children.
YEAR-BY-YEAR (men)
2012-13: 0-14
2013-14: 2-17 (1-8 USA South)
2014-15: 8-9 (5-4 USA South)
2015-16: 5-13 (4-6 USA South)
2016-17: 12-10 (7-1 USA South)
2017-18: 15-5 (8-1 USA South)
2018-19: 9-9 (9-3 USA South)
2019-20: 5-3 (0-0 USA South)
2020-21: 13-6 (5-0 USA South)
2021-22: 12-6 (6-0 USA South)
2022-23: 18-7 (6-0 CCS)
2023-24: 13-11 (5-1 CS)
2024-25: 13-7 (5-1 CCS)
YEAR-BY-YEAR (women)
2012-13: 4-13 (4-5 GSAC)
2013-14: 16-8 (10-2 USA South)
2014-15: 12-7 (9-3 USA South)
2015-16: 15-6 (11-1 USA South)
2016-17: 14-8 (7-0 USA South)
2017-18: 9-9 (4-2 USA South)
2018-19: 7-13 (3-5 USA South)
2019-20: 5-5 (1-0 USA South)
2020-21: 10-6 (4-2 USA South)
2021-22: 11-10 (6-1 USA South)
2022-23: 15-8 (6-1 CCS)
2023-24: 11-9 (6-1 CCS)
2024-25: 4-15 (3-4 CCS)
