ANNVILLE, Pa. - Cliff Myers, the head coach of the Lebanon Valley College men's and women's tennis teams and winner of seven conference titles and 300 matches in 16 seasons, has announced his retirement as head coach effective immediately. Myers retires on top after leading both teams to Commonwealth Conference championships and NCAA Tournament berths this past spring.

While retiring from his head coaching post, Myers has agreed to stay involved as an assistant coach with the women's tennis team. An announcement of a new women's coach will be made Friday, and a search will begin for a new men's coach.

"The most rewarding part has been to watch the kids graduate, and I've had a chance to see a lot them become very successful with their careers and families," Myers said. "Seeing them get an awful lot out of their college experience, even if tennis was a small part of that, is what I'll remember most. It's been a wonderful experience."

Myers, a native Hershey and an alumnus of Hershey High School and Penn State, led the Dutchman tennis programs to unparalleled success during his tenure, winning a combined 300 matches during that span. He is the all-time winningest coach for both programs with a career record of 170-112 with the men and a 130-113 record with the women.

Myers is a six-time Commonwealth Conference coach of the year (including 2009, when he was both the men's and women's COY) and has won seven conference titles, six with the men and one with the women.

"What Cliff Myers means to Lebanon Valley College tennis goes well beyond the wins he has amassed over the years," said Athletic Director Rick Beard '90 M'92. "His teams over the last 16 years have continually grown into the conference's best.

Most importantly, however, he has served as a championship-caliber mentor and role model for scores of young men and women who have had the honor and privilege of playing for him."

The 2008-09 season was a memorable one for Myers as he led the men and women to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearances as both won the Commonwealth Conference. The women captured the CC title with a sparkling 18-4 record, while the men upset the tournament's top two seeds to win their championship. A memorable 5-4 upset win in the championship match over top-seeded Elizabethtown capped that championship run and gave Myers his 300th win at LVC.

All told, Myers coached the men's team to six Commonwealth Conference titles and a berth in the MAC or CC playoffs 10 times. As the only coach in the history of the women's program, he won the 2009 CC championship and five postseason appearances; his last two teams were dominant, going a combined 36-8 in 2008 and 2009.

In addition to winning on the court, Myers also made sure his student-athletes excelled in the classroom. Myers' teams always ranked high in team GPA, and his players earned a combined nine Academic All-District or All-America awards, the most by any coach in any sport in LVC history.