HIGHLIGHTS
- ITA Men's National Coach of the Year: 2022-23
- ITA Men's Atlantic South Region Coach of the Year: 2023, 2018
- ITA Women's Atlantic South Region Coach of the Year: 2018
- Centennial Conference Coach of the Year: 2023, 2024, 2025
- Overall Record at Swarthmore: 87-33, .725 winning percentage
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 2023, 2024, 2025
- Centennial Conference Champions: 2023, 2024, 2025
Jason Box joined Swarthmore College Athletics as the head coach for men's tennis before the start of the 2018-19 school year.
In 2024-25, Swarthmore captured its third consecutive Centennial title and advanced to the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament. The Garnet were 10th in the final ITA National Rankings, peaking at No. 8 during the campaign. Michael Melnikov was the Centennial Player of the Year for the third season in a row and also earned All-America status in both singles and doubles once again alongside partner Utham Koduri. Melnikov also became the first player in program history to be named to the CSC Academic All-America Team, garnering first team distinction.
In 2023-24, the Garnet repeated as Centennial Conference Champions and earned their second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance under Box. Swarthmore ended the season ranked No. 10 in the ITA National Rankings, while peaking at No. 8 during the season. Michael Melnikov repeated as Centennial Player of the Year, while earning All-American status in doubles and singles for consecutive seasons. Utham Koduri also garnered All-American honors as Melnikov's doubles partner.
In 2022-23, Box led the Garnet to their first Centennial Conference title in program history and a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. Swarthmore ended the season ranked 17th nationally and Box was chosen the Centennial Coach of the Year as well as the ITA National Coach of the Year. Melnikov was tabbed both the conference's Player and Rookie of the Year under Box's guidance.
Since taking the helm, Box has had two individuals and one doubles team qualify for the NCAA Championships. Melnikov and Koduri were the 2023 national runner-up in doubles.
Prior to Swarthmore, Box had been the head coach of both the men's and women's teams at Millsaps College in Mississippi since 2011. Box was the ITA Regional Coach of the Year in 2018 on both the men's and women's side and had two male student-athletes advance to the NCAA National Championship as individuals. In 2018, his men's squad went 17-7 and the women went 15-7.
Returning to Swarthmore is a homecoming of sorts for Box. During the 2007-08 school year, Box served as the leave replacement head coach while Swarthmore's Mike Mullan was on a sabbatical.
After his first stint at Swarthmore, Box was an assistant coach at Bates College for two years where he coached the 2009 NCAA Men's Doubles Champions and Singles Runner-up. He was then the head coach at Lake Forest College for one year.
He graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South in 2006 with a degree in anthropology and was a two-time all-conference player there.
Box lives in Swarthmore with his wife Catherine, daughter Libby, and their dogs Millie and Chunky.
| Team |
Year |
W |
L |
Win % |
Conf. W |
Conf. L |
Conf. % |
Postseason |
| Lake Forest (Men) |
2010-11 |
11 |
7 |
0.611 |
2 |
2 |
0.500 |
|
| Millsaps (Men) |
2011-12 |
10 |
13 |
0.435 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Millsaps (Men) |
2012-13 |
11 |
9 |
0.550 |
3 |
3 |
0.500 |
SAA First Round |
| Millsaps (Men) |
2013-14 |
9 |
10 |
0.474 |
3 |
3 |
0.500 |
SAA First Round |
| Millsaps (Men) |
2014-15 |
16 |
4 |
0.800 |
4 |
1 |
0.800 |
SAA Runner-Up |
| Millsaps (Men) |
2015-16 |
14 |
10 |
0.583 |
3 |
4 |
0.429 |
SAA Semifinals |
| Millsaps (Men) |
2016-17 |
24 |
6 |
0.800 |
6 |
1 |
0.857 |
SAA Runner-Up |
| Millsaps (Men) |
2017-18 |
17 |
7 |
0.708 |
6 |
1 |
0.857 |
SAA Runner-Up |
| Swarthmore (Men) |
2018-19 |
13 |
12 |
0.520 |
8 |
1 |
0.889 |
Centennial Runner-Up |
| Swarthmore (Men) |
2019-20* |
7 |
1 |
0.875 |
2 |
0 |
1.000 |
|
| Swarthmore (Men) |
2021-22 |
15 |
7 |
0.682 |
7 |
1 |
.875 |
Centennial Runner-Up |
| Swarthmore (Men) |
2022-23 |
14 |
4 |
0.778 |
8 |
0 |
1.000 |
Centennial Champions; NCAA Second Round |
| Swarthmore (Men) |
2023-24 |
22 |
2 |
0.917 |
8 |
0 |
1.000 |
Centennial Champions; NCAA Third Round |
| Swarthmore (Men) |
2024-25 |
16 |
7 |
.696 |
7 |
0 |
1.000 |
Centennial Champions; NCAA Third Round |
| Total at Lake Forest (Men) |
1 season |
11 |
7 |
0.611 |
2 |
2 |
0.500 |
|
| Total at Millsaps (Men) |
7 seasons |
101 |
59 |
0.631 |
25 |
13 |
0.658 |
|
| Total at Swarthmore (Men) |
6 seasons |
87 |
33 |
0.725 |
40 |
2 |
0.952 |
|
| Total (Men) |
14 seasons |
199 |
99 |
0.668 |
67 |
17 |
0.798 |
|
| Team |
Year |
W |
L |
Win % |
Conf. W |
Conf. L |
Conf. % |
Postseason |
| Lake Forest (Women) |
2010-11 |
12 |
5 |
.706 |
3 |
1 |
.750 |
MWC Semifinals |
| Millsaps (Women) |
2011-12 |
18 |
5 |
.783 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
| Millsaps (Women) |
2012-13 |
13 |
8 |
.619 |
2 |
4 |
.333 |
SAA First Round |
| Millsaps (Women) |
2013-14 |
13 |
6 |
.684 |
3 |
3 |
.500 |
SAA Semifinals |
| Millsaps (Women) |
2014-15 |
9 |
10 |
.474 |
4 |
2 |
.667 |
SAA First Round |
| Millsaps (Women) |
2015-16 |
14 |
7 |
.667 |
4 |
3 |
.571 |
SAA First Round |
| Millsaps (Women) |
2016-17 |
14 |
7 |
.667 |
4 |
3 |
.571 |
SAA First Round |
| Millsaps (Women) |
2017-18 |
15 |
7 |
.682 |
6 |
1 |
.857 |
SAA Runner-Up |
| Total at Lake Forest (Women) |
1 season |
12 |
5 |
.706 |
3 |
1 |
.750 |
|
| Total at Millsaps (Women) |
7 seasons |
96 |
50 |
.658 |
23 |
16 |
.590 |
|
| Total (Women) |
8 seasons |
108 |
55 |
.663 |
26 |
17 |
.605 |
|
