Despite fielding a lineup that includes six freshmen, Whitman capped its 1996 spring season by winning six of seven Northwest Conference matches to place second in the league standings.
"It's been a great experience," Witter said. "It's exciting to be coaching such a fine group of young men."
Witter moved from Phoenix, Arizona, to Walla Walla in 1995. In addition to his coaching duties at Whitman, he also works as the head tennis pro at the Walla Walla Country Club.
A native of Kansas, Witter was a state doubles champion in 1975 for Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village, Kansas. He continued to play at the collegiate level, competing his last two years at Southern Arkansas University, where he graduated with a degree in physical education, health and recreation. As a senior at Southern Arkansas, Witter captured an NAIA district singles championship.
Witter coached for one season at his alma mater before spending the next three years on the professional satellite tour, traveling throughout the United States and Canada. After eight years in restaurant management, he returned to competitive tennis in 1990 and gained a No. 2 singles ranking in the 35-39 age division of the U.S. Tennis Association's Southwest Division.
Since moving to the state of Washington, Witter has teamed with Ted Cummings, a teacher and the boys tennis coach at Walla Walla High School, to earn a No. 2 doubles ranking in the USTA's Pacific Northwest Division.