Bio

In 19 seasons, Coach Settles has established the CMS Stags Tennis program as one of the elite at all levels of collegiate tennis. In 2023, Settles led the Stags to a No. 5 national ranking after CMS reached the semifinal of the 2023 NCAA Division III Team Championships in Lake Nona, FL and extended the Stags' conference win streak to 153, dating back to April 15, 2005. Under Settles' leadership, CMS earned its first NCAA title in any sport in 34 years by winning the NCAA Division III Team Championship in Mason, Ohio in May of 2015, part of a seven year period where the Stags reached NCAA finals in five of those years.

Settles also coached Stags student-athletes to five consecutive NCAA Singles final appearances from 2014-18, including three titles from Warren Wood (2014, 2015) and Skyler Butts (2016). In recognition of Coach Settles' leadership, both the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and the United States Professional Tennis Association have honored him with Coach of the Year accolades at the National (2013) and West Regional (2013, 2009 and 2006) levels. Settles has also earned SCIAC Coach of the Year honors in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019.

Settles is a USPTA certified Elite Professional and a graduate of the USTA High Performance Coaching Program. In addition to coaching the Stags, Settles has coached Team USA in the International University Challenge - leading six top collegiate American players in an eight team international competition in France - and the Southern California Maze Cup Team (Boys and Girls 16s and 18s).

Settles has served as a volunteer member of two USTA national committees, the Collegiate and Adult & Senior Competition Comittees. He is also serving his second stint on the Board of Directors of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association for a two year term through 2025, having originally served on the Board from 2006-2016. He has co-chaired the ITA Small College and Division 3 Operating Committees during his more than 15 years of service at the national level. Settles also currently serves on the ITA's Ethics and Infractions Committee, the CMS Hall of Fame Committee, and serves as advisor to the CMS SAAC Executive Board.

Settles' outreach efforts in the Claremont community have yielded three ITA Campus and Community Outreach awards in 2018, 2011, and 2006. He continues to coach USTA Junior Team Tennis teams and, while serving as Tournament Director for the USTA National Family Hardcourt Championships in June and the USTA National Husband-Wife Hardcourt Championships in November. In 2013 Settles and wife Kathy launched Tennis in Our Schools, a 501(C)3 not for profit foundation bringing tennis to each of Claremont's seven elementary schools in the form of physical education and after school programming. In 2018, the program re-directed to aid high school tennis teams in need. The Settles' have raised over $70,000 for Tennis in Our Schools, introducing the sport to hundreds of Claremont elementary school children and impacting local need-based high school teams.

Before coming to CMS, Settles served as Director of Player Services of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the governing body of men’s professional tennis. At the ATP World Tour, Settles’ wide range of responsibilities included supervision of the Player Services Department, staff liaison for the ATP Player Council, Player Leadership Committee, and Board of Directors; and serving as founding committee member of the ATP Medical Services Committee. From 2004-2012, Settles served on the Player Services staff for the Los Angeles ATP World Tour event.

Still an active player himself in the adult and family divisions, Settles is winner of 33 USTA National Championships. He will represent the USA at the ITF World Championships in Lisbon, Portgual in August of 2023. Paul, and wife Kathy have four children: Ryley, Christian, James, and Caleb.