Jonatan Berhane - Head Coach - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Jonatan Berhane

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
Phone:
205-348-3600

Personal Information

Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden
Education: Lewis-Clark State College, 2009; East Tennessee State University, 2013
Birthday: October 30

Coaching Experience

2023-present: Alabama, Head Coach
2018-23: Alabama, Assistant Head Coach
2014-18: Western Kentucky, Head Coach
2013-14: Youngstown State, Assistant Coach

Jonatan Berhane was named head coach of the Alabama women's tennis program on April 21, 2023, following the retirement of longtime head coach Jenny Mainz. Prior to being named head coach, Berhane served as the program's assistant coach for five seasons.

"We are excited to announce the elevation of Jonatan to head coach of our women's tennis program," said Director of Athletics Greg Byrne. "He has incredible character and, having been a part of the program for the last five seasons, knows all about the wonderful team culture built by his predecessor Jenny Mainz. Congratulations to Jonatan and his family. We look forward to having him join our outstanding lineup of head coaches."

Alabama - Head Coach (2023-Present)

In 2025, guided Alabama to 13 wins which included an eight-match win winning streak leading into SEC play
Helped the team to its highest ITA team ranking of the season at No. 15
Coached three-time All-SEC honoree, Petra Sedlackova, to her second-consecutive award while the senior led the Crimson Tide at the No. 1 spot
Led the Crimson Tide to a 13-1 start to the 2024 season, including an 11-match winning streak
Guided the Tide to the program's third Blue-Gray National Tennis Classic Title, after defeating three ranked teams in two days
Pushed UA to a 4-0 start to Southeastern Conference play
Helped the team earn the No. 13 national ranking
The Crimson Tide remained ranked by the ITA for the entire 2024 season
Anne Marie Hiser and Petra Sedlackova received Second Team All-SEC honors for their performance in the 2024 season
Sedlackova advanced to the ITA Fall National Championships after winning the ITA Southern Regional singles draw

Alabama - Assistant Coach (2018-23)

Helped coach the Crimson Tide to three NCAA Tournament appearances
In 2022, Berhane helped lead the Crimson Tide to its best start since 2018, opening the season with nine-straight victories
Assisted in the development of Petra Sedlackova, who earned ITA Southern Region Rookie of the Year honors in 2022
Sedlackova also captured Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team honors in 2022
Loudmilla Bencheikh picked up First Team All-SEC honors in 2022
Sedlackova and Bencheikh both advanced to the NCAA Singles Championships that year
Bencheikh and Anne Marie Hiser advanced to the ITA Fall National Championships after winning the ITA Southern Regional Doubles Draw
Berhane saw Alabama capture 12 wins in his third year with the Tide, including notable road wins against Missouri and Arkansas
Alba Cortina Pou became the third player in program history to earn back-to-back CoSIDA Academic All-American honors
In his second season, the Tide compiled a 12-6 record before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Key in player development, Berhane helped coach Alba Cortina Pou to an 11-0 dual match record to begin the season, as she became the first player in program history to win Southeastern Conference Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks (Feb. 5 & 12)
In his first season with the Tide, Berhane had an immediate impact in helping Alabama to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015
Was honored as the ITA Southern Region Assistant Coach of the Year

Western Kentucky - Head Coach (2014-18)

2017 Conference USA Head Coach of the Year
Led the Lady Toppers to three-straight winning seasons
Reached the semifinal round of the conference tournament by taking down a top-40 team in 2017
In the classroom, the Lady Toppers earned a perfect APR score for four consecutive years

Prior to Western Kentucky

Spent one season as an assistant coach at Youngstown State, serving both the men's and women's programs
During his time at Youngstown State, the Penguins became the first Horizon League squad other than UIC to win the women's conference championship since 1996
At the 2014 conference championships, the Penguins took down Wright State, second-seeded Milwaukee and top-seeded Cleveland State to claim the title
YSU competed in the Charlottesville Regional against No. 3 seed Virginia
Spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at East Tennessee State
Helped guide the Pirates to the regular-season championship in 2013, defeating two ranked opponents
Instructed at New York Shelter Island Camp and at the Monaco Athletic in Denver, Colo.
Served on the ITA Committee from 2014-18

Personal Life

Achieved a No. 10 Swedish ranking and was a finalist for the Swedish Championship in doubles
Earned his MBA in Sports Management from ETSU
Attended Lewis-Clark State College, where he ranked as a Top-15 NAIA singles player and ranked in the top 10 in doubles
Competed at Virginia Intermont College, leading his team to a top-five NAIA ranking
Speaks three languages: Swedish, English and Tigrinya