Head Coach Joao Almeida will begin his first year with the Spires for the 2025-2026 season for both the Men's and Women's Tennis teams. 

Before Almeida began his coaching career, he competed as a tennis athlete at Southwest Baptist University where his team was recognized as the regular season MIAA Conference Champion in 2016, 2017, and 2019, won MIAA Conference Tournament Championships in 2018 and 2019, as well as earning a place in the NCAA Final Four in 2018, NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 2018, and NCAA Elite 8 in 2019. 

Upon graduation from SBU, Almeida furthered his educational and professional career at Fort Hays State University to pursue his Master's in Health and Human Performances with an Exercise Science concentration. During his time at FHSU, he was the tennis Graduate Assistant Coach from 2019-2021 and interned with the Strength and Conditioning Department working with the football, tennis, wrestling, and golf programs. Joao would then go back to Southwest Baptist University and assisted the SBU tennis program, where both men's and women's teams were ranked #14 in the ITA National Team Rankings.

In February of 2022, Almeida became the head men's and women's tennis coach for SBU. Under his guidance, both the Men's and Women's Tennis Programs at Southwest Baptist reached the ITA National Team Rankings, with the men's team achieving a career-high #12 ranking in Division II. Almeida also coached the women's team to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and men's team to a notable win against Wayne State University, then ranked #7 in the ITA Team National Rankings.

Joao Almeida is originally from Camp Grande, Brazil and in his free time him and his wife, Bethany Almeida, enjoy spending time with their Bernese Mountain Dog, Hagrid, and attending Crest Bible Church.