John (J.J.) Whitlinger is in his 11th season with the Furman men’s tennis program and seventh as head coach.
During his stint as head coach, Whitlinger, who led the Paladins to the finals of the SoCon Championship in his first two seasons at the helm of the program, has amassed a 68-67 overall record and 25-12 Southern Conference mark.
The 2024-25 campaign saw Furman return to the finals of the SoCon Men’s Tennis Championship for the first time since 2018-19. The Paladins reeled off three victories over their final four matches to end the season highlighted by a 4-3 win over top-seeded East Tennessee State in the tournament semifinals. Furman ended the regular season with a 4-3 win at Wofford before beginning postseason play with a 4-3 triumph over fourth-seeded Chattanooga in the quarterfinals. The Paladins were edged in the championship match, 4-3, by third-seeded Samford. Theophile Joly was named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team. A total of four players were selected to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team in Walker Allen, Cole Burnam, Matt Kandel, and John Rado.
Whitlinger guided the team to its 11th consecutive appearance in the semifinals of the SoCon tournament in 2023-24 after defeating sixth-seeded Wofford, 4-2. For the second consecutive season, the Paladins compiled eight home victories after finishing 8-2 at Mickel Tennis Center. Furman ended the regular season with victories in five of the final six matches while picking up a win over an ACC opponent for the first time since 2007 following a 4-3 win over Boston College. A total of three players garnered postseason recognition in Allen, Elijah Poritzky, and Thomas Kennedy. The Paladins placed four on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team in Kennedy, Burnam, Rado, and Emil Westling
Furman finished the 2022-23 season with an 11-14 overall record and went 4-3 in the league, while making an appearance in the SoCon tournament semifinals. The Paladins compiled an 8-4 record at home. For the second straight year, Furman boasted the SoCon Freshman of the Year in Jerry Barton, who led the team with 13 singles victories and combined with Poritzky for a team high 10 doubles wins. Barton was a first team All-SoCon pick for singles and garnered SoCon All-Freshman Team accolades along with Thomas Kennedy. Westling was also named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.
Furman posted a 15-9 overall record and 6-1 SoCon mark in 2021-22. The Paladins, who recorded key non-conference victories over Belmont, Georgia State, and Richmond, reached the semifinals of the SoCon tournament, and graduate student Drew Singerman, a College Sports Communicators Academic All-American, was honored with the league’s Buddy Hartsell Sportsmanship Award. Jamie Connel, the SoCon Freshman of the Year, was named first team All-SoCon for both singles and doubles, and graduate student Ivan Mitric earned a spot on the All-SoCon first team for doubles and second team for singles. Connel and Poritzky were named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team.
In Whitlinger’s second year at the helm of the program, Furman concluded the 2020-21 season with a 10-12 overall record and 5-2 SoCon mark. The Paladins made their third straight appearance in the league title match and reached the finals for the sixth time in the last seven championships. Mitric was named first team All-SoCon for singles, while Jake Bhangdia and Henrik Atlevi earned first team selections for doubles. Bhangdia and Atlevi were also honored as members of the All-SoCon second team for singles, and Westling claimed a spot on the SoCon All-Freshman team.
Singerman was selected to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team in the spring of 2021. The Paladins were honored as an ITA All-Academic Team, and eight Furman players were tabbed 2020-21 ITA Scholar-Athletes.
During the shortened 2019-20 season, Furman went 10-5 overall record and 2-0 in the conference. The Paladins were a perfect 8-0 at home in Whitlinger’s first year as head coach, and the doubles duo of Bhangdia and Jake Munns concluded the fall season ranked tenth nationally in doubles after finishing as runner-up at the ITA Carolinas Regional. Furman men’s posted a 3.71 team GPA in the spring of 2020, the highest of all the Paladin men’s programs.
Furman concluded the 2019 season with a 17-5 overall record and 6-1 mark in league competition. The Paladins reached the championship match of the Southern Conference tournament for the fifth time in six years, and Mitric was named first team All-SoCon for singles. Mitric teamed with Munns to earn a first team nod for doubles, and Singerman was honored as a member of the second team for singles. Singerman went on to claim a spot on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District at-large team at the conclusion of the season.
During the 2018 season, the Paladins posted a 19-8 overall mark and 5-2 SoCon record. Furman advanced to the championship match of the SoCon tournament, and Mitric was honored as the SoCon Freshman of the Year, while Munns and Cameron Green and earned first team All-SoCon citations.
Whitlinger helped Furman to a 17-8 overall record and a 6-1 SoCon mark in 2017. The Paladins, who reached the semifinals of the SoCon tournament, captured six All-SoCon scrolls and placed two players, Munns and Clarke Wilson, on the SoCon All-Freshman Team. Green and Adam Steryous were selected to the All-SoCon first team for singles for the second straight year, and Munns and Adam Steryous represented the Paladins on the All-SoCon first team for doubles. Munns and Bhangdia were named to second team All-SoCon for singles.
In 2016, Whitlinger was instrumental in helping Furman reach the championship match of the Southern Conference tournament for the third consecutive season. The Paladins recorded a 13-11 overall record and 5-2 league mark. Green and Adam Steryous were named to first team All-SoCon for singles, while Green and Alex Steryous garnered second team accolades for doubles, and Josh Pistorius was chosen to the SoCon All-Freshman team.
Whitlinger began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant with the men’s tennis program at Stanford in 2005 and remained with the Cardinal through the end of the 2014 season. During his time with the Cardinal, the team made nine NCAA tournament appearances and won two Pac-10 championships. Whitlinger also worked as the Director of Junior Tennis at the Fremont Hills Country Club from 2010-15.
Whitlinger’s teams have shown consistent success in the classroom, with six Paladins claiming ITA Scholar-Athlete citations for the 2024-25 season. Furman was honored as an ITA All-Academic Team for the sixth straight year under Whitlinger’s leadership.
A native of Menlo Park, Calif., Whitlinger earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Mary’s College of California in 2005. A four-year letter winner for the Gaels, he earned All-WCC doubles honorable mention accolades as a sophomore. Whitlinger, who was chosen team captain for two years, was nominated for the George R. McKeon Award, which recognizes St. Mary’s most outstanding student-athlete, as a senior in 2005.
Whitlinger is married to the former Katrina Domela of Bandung, Indonesia, who played tennis at UT-Martin and Cal State Fullerton. The couple has two sons, Trey and Rhys.
