Haverford College men's tennis coach Sean Sloane has announced that he will be retiring at the conclusion of the 2017-18 season. Sloane recently completed his 21st season leading the men's tennis program and previously served as head coach of both the men's and women's squash programs at Haverford from the fall of 1997 until the end of the 2009 season.

"It has been an absolute pleasure for me to spend the past 21 years at Haverford in the company of so many bright, dedicated, motivated student-athletes," commented Sloane. "I will take many warm memories into retirement with me and I am already looking forward to a reunion at next fall's Alumni Tennis Match."

"It is difficult to lose such a valued and respected coworker who has been a tremendous mentor to generations of Haverford tennis and squash players," stated Haverford College Director of Athletics Wendy Smith '87. "I wish nothing but the best for Sean in a retirement filled with warm sun, soft beaches, and the finest chocolates!"

Carrying his successful career into his final season, Sloane has compiled a 214-144 career record as men's tennis coach. His teams made the Centennial Conference Tournament during 12 of the past 13 seasons since the conference's team tournament inception. The Fords made it to at least the conference semifinals during each of those playoff appearances, including four trips to the Centennial Conference Championship match.

Named the U.S. Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Middle States Coach of the Year following both the 2009 and 2016 seasons, Sloane's teams have demonstrated significant skill under his guidance as evidenced by a conference doubles title in 2004, an ITA Fall Regional doubles title in 2007, and a singles championship semifinalist at the 2010 ITA Fall Regional.

Numerous student-athletes have earned ITA national Scholar-Athlete honors under Sloane's direction as the Fords annually rank among the top teams in all of Division III in both number of Scholar-Athletes and team GPA. One of Sloane's highest achievers, Alex Buxbaum '09, was awarded a coveted NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship following his graduation.

Excelling in all racquet sports, Sloane is also the all-time winningest coach in men's squash at Haverford and held that distinction on the women's side up until this past academic year. He won 100 matches as the leader of the men's squash program, including a pair of Conroy Cup Championships. Sloane recorded an additional 51 victories leading the women's squash team to give him a combined 364 wins at Haverford, the second highest win total of any coach in the history of the College.

Since 1981, the College Squash Association has given an award to recognize the men's team that best exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship throughout the season. The award was renamed the Sloane Award in honor of Sloane. His squad at Williams won the first team sportsmanship award in 1981.

Sloane came to Haverford after spending 16 years as the head coach of Williams College for both men's and women's tennis and men's squash. Adding all of those win totals together, Sloane has led his teams to a combined 697 wins during his time as a college head coach. After stepping down from Williams, Sloane took time out to earn his doctorate in sports administration from the University of Massachusetts. He went on to become a top administrator with the U.S. Tennis Association and continues to work as a tennis referee for many important professional tennis tournaments.