Courtesy Norfolk State Sports Information
NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State Athletics Department announced today that Brittany Pilkington Baine has been elevated to the role of head coach for the Norfolk State men’s and women’s tennis teams.
Baine spent the previous three seasons as an assistant coach with the program. She replaces former head coach Darryl Cummings, who retired from collegiate coaching earlier this summer to pursue other opportunities. A 25-year coaching veteran, Cummings led the Spartan tennis programs the last three years, including the women to a Northern Division title in 2019.
“Coach Cummings did an excellent job in elevating the men’s and women’s tennis teams during his tenure,” said NSU Athletics Director Marty L. Miller. “His ability to recruit outstanding tennis student-athletes played a significant role in winning a divisional championship for the Spartan program. He was a tremendous coach and fundraiser. We wish him much success in his future endeavors.
“We were fortunate to be able to promote his assistant, Coach Baine, to head coach,” Miller continued. “She is familiar with the student-athletes and expectations for the program. The continuity is critical for the continued success of the men’s and women’s tennis programs. We are expecting great things from Coach Baine.”
“It is an honor to have this opportunity to coach at a top Division I institution such as Norfolk State,” said Baine. “I am proud to be a part of the NSU athletics family. We are ready to prove to everyone that, once again, we are two of the teams to beat in the MEAC. We have a talented group of student-athletes coming back, and we are ecstatic to add some newcomers to the fold. Our tennis programs are looking to do great things this year, and I am excited to guide them down this path.”
During her three seasons as an assistant coach with both programs, the Spartans had five all-conference honorees. The NSU women went 4-1 in the MEAC Northern Division in 2019, earning the regular-season division title. The men finished second in the division each of her three seasons, advancing to the semifinals of the MEAC tournament in 2017 and ’18.
Naz Karagoz was named the MEAC Player of the Year this season, while Dajana Cvjetkovic was a two-time All-MEAC honoree during Baine’s assistant coach tenure. In addition, Vini Da Silva and Andres Alcaraz have each been named first-team All-MEAC on the men’s side over the past two seasons.
Baine, formerly Brittany Pilkington, was a four-year letter winner at George Mason from 2012-16. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business management.
