High school tennis coaching hires aren’t often described as splashy, but Wilson has made a huge move as the school’s athletic director confirmed they’ve hired longtime Long Beach State coach Jenny Hilt-Costello to lead the Bruins’ girls’ program going forward. Hilt-Costello was the head coach at Long Beach State for 28 years, leading the program to 13 Big West Tournament titles, nine Big West regular season titles, and 13 NCAA Tournament appearances.
The nine-time Big West Coach of the Year takes over for a historic Bruins tennis program as the school prepares to enter its centennial year.
“I love coaching, you don’t do it for 30 years if you don’t have a passion for it,” said Hilt-Costello. “I just had an urge to get back on the court. It’s obviously a different experience and level but that’s what I’m kind of looking forward to—being back in the community and giving these girls a real positive experience.”
Last month, Hilt-Costello filed a lawsuit against Long Beach State claiming age discrimination as part of her exit from the school, where she was the most accomplished coach in its tennis program’s history. She declined comment on the lawsuit.
Regardless of the reasons she became available, it’s a rare opportunity for Wilson to hire one of the most accomplished college coaches in Southern California tennis history. In addition to her success as a coach, Hilt-Costello was also a standout player at UCLA and helped lead the team to the 1991 NCAA championship match.
“We’re thrilled to welcome coach Hilt-Costello to Wilson High School,” said Wilson athletic director John Janzen. “Her track record speaks for itself, but what stood out most throughout the hiring process was her commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the court.”
Hilt-Costello, a longtime Long Beach resident as well as coach, said that she heard about the opening from a college teammate from UCLA whose son attends Wilson.
“She called me and said ‘they’re looking for a girls’ tennis coach,’ and it all started there,” she said. “It was just about getting back to the community for me. This is a whole new domain, totally different than college tennis—there’s a big learning curve.”
Hilt-Costello said she hadn’t had much time with the team yet as she’s going through the clearance process, but in an initial meeting the girls seemed as excited as she was.
“Ultimately they’re the engine that’s going to drive this, their expectations for themselves and what they want to achieve,” said Hilt-Costello. “I’m excited about it.”
