Randolph-Macon head coach Sam Varner completed his fourth season with the Yellow Jackets in 2024-2025.
The Yellow Jackets women's tennis team finished their fourth year under the helm of Varner with a 9-7 (4-6) record in the 2024-2025 season. Randolph-Macon secured the eighth seed in the conference tournament before falling to nationally ranked Washington and Lee. In four seasons Varner has led the women's tennis program to an overall record of 43-21 (25-15) record, leading the team to the conference playoffs in all four seasons. Varner saw two of the teams members get named to the postseason all-conference teams. Camilla Thurman and Catherine Mowry were named as a first team duo in #1 doubles, Thurman also earned a second team nod as a individual. Thurman and Mowry both were named as second team VaSID all-state members.
Randolph-Macon women's tennis finished their third year under the helm of Varner with a 11-5 (8-3) record in the 2023-2024 season. The Yellow Jackets would make it to the ODAC Quarterfinals before falling to Shenandoah in a tough 5-1 defeat. Varners' most wins came in his second season during the 2022-2023 season, in which Randolph-Macon piled up a 16-3 (8-2) overall record. In three seasons Varner has managed to garner a 34-14 (21-9) record, leading the women's tennis program to the conference playoffs each year he has been at the helm. In the 2022-2023 season, the Yellow Jackets would make it to the ODAC semifinals, in which they would fall to national powerhouse Washington and Lee.
Introduction Release
Former Yellow Jacket captain and assistant coach Sam Varner returned to campus as R-MC head women’s tennis coach for the 2021-22 year.
"I would like to thank President Lindgren and Director of Athletics Jeff Burns for letting me lead the Randolph-Macon women's tennis program," Varner said. "I look forward to returning to Ashland and building a women's program that represents the college well on and off the court.”
During the 2019-20 academic year, Varner served as head men’s and women’s tennis coach at Earlham College in Richmond, Ind., before the program was eliminated due to COVID 19.
From 2016-19, Varner was head men’s and women’s tennis coach at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa. He mentored multiple all-conference performers including two conference players of the year and a conference rookie of the year. The men were 29-14, reached the playoffs each season and were a finalist in 2017. Juniata was an ITA All-Academic Team each year, with the women claiming the GPA team award in 2019.
Varner assisted Charles Gray with the men’s and women’s tennis teams at R-MC from 2014-16. Varner helped the women go 31-5 overall and 19-3 in ODAC play. The men were 20-12 overall and 11-9 in conference matches.
During the 2013-14 season, Varner was head men’s and women’s tennis coach at Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Va. He was a volunteer assistant at R-MC from 2009-11 and assistant at Bridgewater from 2012-13.
Varner worked multiple years as a tennis instructor and event coordinator in Richmond as well as Charlottesville.
In 2009, Varner earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Randolph-Macon. The two-rime captain had the most individual wins for the Yellow Jackets from 2006-09 and was ODAC Player of the Week in March of 2008.
