SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame women’s tennis head coach Alison Silverio has added assistant coach Jason Kerst to her staff. Kerst joins Fighting Irish tennis after spending the last year as part of the Virginia Tech athletic department. He’s previously coached at the University of South Carolina and as part of the Blue Chip Player Development program in Ann Arbor, in addition to being a student-athlete at the University of Iowa.
“I am delighted to introduce Jason Kerst as our new assistant coach.” Head coach Alison Silverio said, “His strong alignment with our program values, competitive excellence and Notre Dame’s mission is truly remarkable. Jason is wholeheartedly dedicated to enhancing the well-being and holistic development of our student-athletes. I eagerly anticipate our partnership and the continued success of our program!”
“I could not be more excited to join the Fighting Irish program.” Kerst stated, “I look forward to working with our staff and players as we build on the incredible progress this team has made in recent years. Thank you to Coach Silverio, JP Abercrumbie and Notre Dame Athletics for this amazing opportunity. Go Irish!”
As part of Blue Chip Player Development, Kerst served as the elite junior academy coach for the top national and international players during winter and summer breaks. While there, he worked with five different players that were recruited and competed at the power five level. He also worked directly with Kari Miller, the 2022 Big Ten Player of the Year.
Kerst worked as the volunteer coach at South Carolina during the 2021-22 season, where he also obtained his master’s degree. There, he served as the primary hitting coach for ITA All-American champion, SEC Freshman of the Year and top ranked player Sarah Hamner. He also helped lead the Gamecocks to the NCAA round of 32 with four singles players and three doubles pairings entering the ITA rankings.
Prior to his coaching career, Kerst was a student-athlete at the University of Iowa where he competed with the men’s tennis program. While there, he earned the ITA Regional Arthur Ashe Leadership Award, was a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honoree and was an Academic All-Big Ten selection all four seasons. He also was part of the Big Ten Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was president of the Iowa Student Athlete-Advisory Committee.