COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech and head coach Kenny Doyle has announced the addition of assistant coach Mirko Bjelica to Golden Eagle tennis staff.

A native of Tivat, Montenegro, Bjelica brings 19 years of coaching experience to the Golden Eagles. He has served as a tennis professional and a national team coach, while also being ranked #1 in the south in the USTA Men's Singles 30 and older division.

"I am very excited that Mirko Bjelica will be joining the TTU tennis family," head coach Kenny Doyle said. "He brings a wealth of experiences that will benefit the program. I welcome his family to Tennessee and Tech. It will be some exciting times for the TTU tennis community."

Since 2009, Bjelica has served as both the Montenegro Davis Cup Captain and the Montenegro Head National Coach. As the captain, he organized and conducted practices before and during tournaments, organized travel plans, and developed strategies during the matches. As the head coach, he nominated and selected junior and adult players for national and international tournaments, prepared players for the tournaments, and again conducted practices.

Bjelica graduated from Georgia State in 1993 with a Bachelors of Arts in finance and also obtained a Bachelors of Science in education. While at Georgia State, Bjelica was a member of the tennis team, and served as team captain his senior season. Prior to attending Georgia State, Bjelica played for head coach Kenny Doyle for one semester at Campbell University, earning Big South all-conference honors in 1989.

Bjelica currently resides in Cookeville with his wife, Margaret and their five children; Mary, 14, Ana, 12, Lidia, 9, Sara, 7, and Luka, 2.