Middlebury has announced the hiring of Teddy Best '22 as the assistant men's and women's squash coach. Best joins the program in a full-time capacity after serving as a volunteer for the Panthers last season.

"Teddy comes with a breadth of experience, including playing in the top spot and captaining the Middlebury men's program," said Mark Lewis, the John R. Illig Head Coach of Squash. "His experience on and off the court, combined with his extensive playing and coaching experience, will add enormously to the Middlebury squash programs. We are so fortunate that Teddy has chosen to rejoin the Panthers."

"I'm incredibly excited to have the opportunity to return to Middlebury squash as the assistant coach for the 2025-26 season," said Best. "I am fortunate to return home to people and a culture that I love. Middlebury squash was integral to my growth during college, and it is my sincere hope that, in returning to the team, I can help others have a similarly fruitful experience. I'm so grateful to return, and I can't wait to get started!" 

During his first stint with the Panthers a season ago, Best designed practice plans for both teams to maximize performance. Under his guidance, each program tallied double-digit victories and ranked at #16 in the final Collegiate Squash Association (CSA) rankings. The men's squad also achieved its first triumph over the University of Rochester at the CSA Team Championships.

Before returning to his alma mater, Best spent two years as a coach for the 412 Squad Club based in New York City. He created and conducted dynamic squash training programs for attendees ranging from five to 70 years old, while creating a supportive and inclusive environment with teamwork and collaboration.

As the varsity squash coach at the Brearley School, Best helped lead the Beavers to a second-place finish in the conference and 10th place during the 2023 U.S. High School Squash Championships. He has also had stops as a junior squash coach at Smart Squash and a volunteer at CitySquash.

Best graduated from Middlebury in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. The Panther helped lead the program to 29 victories. Individually, Best secured 27 wins, including nine during his senior season at the No.1 position to earn All-NESCAC Second Team honors. In the classroom, he was a four-time CSA Scholar-Athlete and a three-time NESCAC All-Academic selection.