This week the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) named Charlottesville High School Director of Tennis John Neal its boys tennis Coach of the Year.

The NFHS honors only 24 coaches of girls and boys high school sports annually. Neal was selected as the winner for 2024-25 boys tennis after leading the Black Knights to back-to-back Virginia High School League state championships.

In its award, the NFHS noted: “In just seven years, John Neal has taken a struggling boys tennis team at Charlotteville High School that had just five players and routinely forfeited matches, to one of Virginia's premier high school programs.”

“I’m honored by this recognition, but I’m even more proud of the work ethic and team spirit of our boys,” Neal said. “A coach can lead, but it’s the players who buy in and create the team culture.” 

After recording a 27-16 mark in his first four years, Neal has led Charlottesville to a 39-5 record and back-to-back Virginia High School League state championships the past two years. The state title in 2023-24 was the school’s first championship in 37 years. As a result of his feats the past two years, Neal was selected Central Virginia Boys Tennis Coach of the Year in 2025.

In recognition of the success and growth of the boys tennis program, Neal was recently appointed Director of Tennis at Charlottesville High School, where he now oversees and leads both the boys and girls tennis programs. This expanded role allows Neal to create a unified vision for tennis excellence at CHS, share best practices across both programs, and ensure that all student-athletes, regardless of gender, have access to high-quality coaching and competitive opportunities.

“Coach Neal epitomizes what you want to see in a team leader,” said Andy Jones, Director of Athletics for Charlottesville High School. “As a former college player, he is strong technically. But even more importantly, he is strong relationally and keeps our student-athletes at the center.”