Darwin Silva '15 enters his first season as the head coach of both men's and women's tennis programs at John Brown University, having served the previous two seasons as an assistant coach for the Golden Eagles.
During his tenure as assistant coach under Mike Campbell '96, Silva helped guide the tennis programs to a combined 39-33 (.542) record. Most notably, he played a pivotal role in leading the women's team to 11 victories during the 2023-24 season—the program's highest single-season win total since 2000.
Prior to his appointment as head coach at JBU, Silva accumulated extensive coaching experience at multiple levels. Most recently, he served as head tennis coach at Siloam Springs High School during the 2024-25 season, where he led both boys and girls programs to success. Under his guidance, the school's No. 1 doubles team posted an undefeated 14-0 record and qualified for the state tournament.
Silva previously spent six years (2016-22) as head coach in the Mankato Area Public Schools in Minnesota, leading both Mankato West girls and Mankato East boys programs. His teams consistently finished with winning records each season, and he developed more than six athletes who advanced to compete at the collegiate level. Concurrently, he served as co-director of the Tennis in Mankato Junior Program, a K-12 developmental program focused on building technical skills and team unity.
In 2006, his coaching career began at Peninsula Covenant Community Center in Redwood City, California, where he worked for six years under USPTA national tester and ATP alumnus Sidney Newcomb '89. In this role, he provided private lessons, conducted group clinics, developed USTA teams, and performed video analysis.
As a Golden Eagle, Silva was a dual-sport athlete in the Blue and Gold, competing in both men's tennis and soccer for three seasons, making 35 career appearances on the pitch from 2012-14. He spent one season in junior college, landing on the All-Conference team while competing for Canada College. Silva was later named to the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll for a pair of seasons for his academic achievements.
The native Uruguayan currently serves as a special education teacher and case manager in the Siloam Springs School District. He previously held similar positions in Fayetteville Public Schools and various Minnesota school districts. In 2023, he received a Merit Award from Fayetteville Public Schools for his exceptional work in education.
Silva holds a bachelor of arts in intercultural studies from John Brown University (2015) and a master of education in special education from Grand Canyon University (2019). He is a USPTA certified tennis coach since 2022 and holds a US Soccer Federation coaching license.
A regular attendee of Community Christian Fellowship in Siloam Springs, Silva has enjoyed hosting Golden Eagle student-athletes in his home for fellowship and community. He views coaching as a form of ministry and discipleship, describing himself as an "ambassador for Christ" through his professional work.
Silva resides in Farmington, Arkansas with his wife, Kiley, and their two children, Sebastian and Niko.
