SEARCY – Harding University is pleased to announce the hiring of Craig Kirchgessner as its new Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach. Kirchgessner replaces David Redding, who is retiring after coaching 10 seasons at Harding, and brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success in collegiate tennis to the Bisons and Lady Bisons programs.

A native of Floyds Knobs, Indiana, Kirchgessner comes to Harding after serving as the Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach at Hendrix College since August 2019. During his tenure at Hendrix, he significantly elevated both programs, landing the highest-rated men's recruiting classes in school history in 2019 and 2024. Academically, both the men's and women's teams excelled, maintaining average GPAs of 3.5 and 3.7, respectively.

Prior to his time at Hendrix, Kirchgessner served as the Assistant Men's and Women's Tennis Coach at Centre College from January 2016 to 2019. While at Centre, he played a key role in the women's team achieving their first-ever SAA Tournament victory and their best-ever SAA conference regular-season finish (second place). He also coached Centre's first-ever year-end nationally ranked doubles team (2017) and helped recruit the largest and highest-rated men's and women's classes in the program's history.

Kirchgessner's experience also includes serving as the Head Professional at the Duke Faculty Club and as a Tennis Professional at Ocean Reef Resort in Florida. He also spent several years as the Assistant Director of Junior Camps at Sewanee Tennis Camp.

As a player, Kirchgessner was a four-time all-state high school tennis player in Indiana and was the number one singles and doubles player at NCAA Division-I Western Kentucky University. He holds a B.S. in Secondary Education (Social Studies) from Western Kentucky University and an A.A. in Liberal Studies from Florida College.

"We are extremely excited to announce Craig Kirchgessner as our Head Men's & Women's Tennis Coach," said Jeff Morgan, Harding University Athletic Director. "Craig brings a great playing experience background as well valuable head coaching experience. Coach Kirchgessner has a real calling to invest in the spiritual lives of our student-athletes and help them develop on the court as student-athletes. We look forward to welcoming Coach Kirchgessner to our Bison Family as a coach and leader of our tennis programs!"

"I am excited and blessed for the opportunity to lead the men's and women's tennis programs at Harding University," said Kirchgessner. "Coach Redding has built a great program, and I am humbled to be a part of it. Both on and off the court, the goal will be to shape student athletes who find purpose through discipline, challenges, and a commitment to love God and one another. We will conduct ourselves with humility, be men and women of high character, all while competing at the highest level."

Kirchgessner's tenure at Harding University will begin June 15. He is married to the former April Behle of St. Charles, Missouri, and they have two children: Otto Graham (3 years) and Monroe Estella (7 months). They also have two dogs, The Ash Man and The Boo Girl.