Ben Dunbar - Associate Head Coach - Men's Tennis Coaches

Ben Dunbar

Title:
Associate Head Coach

Ben Dunbar joined Oklahoma Athletics as the associate men's tennis head coach in June 2022.

In Dunbar's third season with the Sooners, he helped coach three student-athletes to NCAA Individual Championship qualifying spots in the fall with senior Jordan Hasson playing in the singles bracket, junior Bruno Nhavene playing in the doubles bracket and Lacides playing in both singles and doubles competition.

Dunbar assisted in leading the Sooners to a 17-11 season and a 7-7 record in SEC play where he coached the team through their first season in the SEC. The Sooners saw 12 wins at home and hosted the 2025 ITA Kickoff Weekend where Dunbar coached the team to the championship match. Dunbar assisted in the team’s upset over then-No. 18 Tennessee and later in OU’s SEC Tournament campaign where the Sooners advanced to the quarterfinals.

The Sooners have competed in the NCAA tournament in all three of the seasons Dunbar has been in the associate head coach role, advancing to the second round of the tournament in each of the three seasons.

Lacides and Luis Alvarez were named to the All-SEC Second Team and Lacides also earned an All-SEC Freshman team nod. Lacides and Alvarez, along with Hank Trondson and Jordan Hasson, were named ITA Scholar-Athletes. Alvarez was honored as ITA’s Central Region Player to Watch along with the Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship and Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship and Leadership honors. Lacides was named the ITA Central Region Rookie of the Year.

Dunbar’s second year of leadership in 2023-24 saw the Sooners to a 21-5 season that included a 14-2 home record and an 11-match win streak that included three wins over top-15 ranked teams.

In only two seasons as associate head coach, Dunbar assisted in leading Oklahoma to its 14th straight NCAA tournament appearance. OU advanced to the second round to extend their streak of second round appearances or further in the last 11 seasons.

Dunbar was named the 2024 ITA Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year, earning regional honors alongside four Sooner tennis players.

Oklahoma was named an ITA All-Academic Team under Dunbar’s leadership and three Sooners were named ITA Scholar-Athletes.

Despite finishing the season ranked No. 11, Oklahoma was ranked at a season-high of No. 9 and senior Alex Martinez achieved a career-high singles ranking of No. 7 after earning four conference athlete-of-the-week nods.

The 2022-23 season marked Dunbar’s first season as Oklahoma’s associate head coach. Dunbar led the Sooners to their 13th straight NCAA tournament appearance in which the team advanced to the second round to continue their 10-season streak of second round appearances or further.

Oklahoma went 15-12 in Dunbar’s first campaign as associate head coach and notched nine wins at home.

Dunbar coached Alex Martinez and Siphos Montsi to All-Big 12 honors in their junior and senior seasons, respectively. Martinez was named to the singles second-team and Montsi earned a No. 3 singles position title.

Dunbar came to Norman after a five-year head coaching tenure with the University of New Mexico men’s tennis program from 2016-21, where he led the Lobos to back-to-back Mountain West Conference championships and was named the 2021 Mountain West Coach of the Year.

The Nottingham, England, product was named head coach of the Lobos after serving three years as the assistant coach under Bart Scott. In Dunbar’s first year as an assistant coach, New Mexico made the NCAA Championships for the first time in six years. Additionally, he earned ITA Mountain Region Assistant Coach of the Year.

During his time as head coach, Dunbar notched a 54-49 overall and 21-7 conference records. Under his leadership, the Lobos won the 2019 and 2021 Mountain West titles and made the NCAA tournament in 2021.

Dunbar enjoyed a collegiate playing career at UNM, registering a 55-49 singles record and a 73-34 doubles mark. During his senior campaign he went 20-15 in singles action and 27-9 in doubles play. The 27 doubles wins represented the sixth-highest single-season total in program history. Additionally, he reached an ITA doubles ranking of 30.

Dunbar was a five-time All-Mountain West honoree, earning the accolade three times in singles and twice in doubles. He was a Mountain West all-academic selection each possible year and was named a Mountain West Scholar-Athlete in 2012. Additionally, he earned ITA Scholar Athlete honors his junior and senior seasons with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Dunbar earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from UNM in 2012. While working on his master’s degree in sports administration – which he earned from UNM in 2016 – he served as the Lobos’ volunteer coach from 2012-14.

Dunbar's family in Norman includes his wife, Beth, and daughter, Olivia.