Jo Cabana sets record with North Carolina high school titles

"My brothers and I were lucky enough to have shared the unique experience of having our mom as our high school tennis coach," said daughter Katie Cabana Miness. “And while her winning record speaks for itself, her true gift was how she defined excellence. It was something she emulated every day, never something she forced upon us or her players.”

For the love of the game

Cabana arrived at Charlotte Catholic in 2003. She coached just the girls’ team until 2016, when she became head coach of both programs. Cabana has led the girls’ program to 11 state championships, including the 2025 state title.

Cabana was raised in a small town in upstate New York. She grew up playing sports with her siblings and boys on the street.

“We played all the time. One day I would pick up a tennis racket and play tennis, and the next day I would pick up a golf club and play golf,” Cabana said. “I always loved tennis and wanted my kids to play tennis. Coaching them enabled me to spend more time with them, which was very special.”

Cabana has established what she calls the “Triple Crowns” of her programs. They are effort, attitude and sportsmanship.

“Those are the three things we focus on and the kids have to commit to it,” Cabana said. “We've been doing that since I came here, because we believe that's how we will have our best results. If we only focus on those three things, the result will be an offshoot of doing those three things.”

More milestones ahead

Throughout her 33 years of coaching, Cabana has remained an English teacher. She currently teaches 10th-grade honors English and a sports ethics class at Charlotte Catholic.

“I've always sort of drawn a straight line between coaching and teaching. The same kind of ethos goes into both,” Cabana said. “As a coach and a teacher, I have a growth mindset. I'm always trying to figure out how I can be better and do better and make sure that my players notice that.”

Although she doesn’t focus on the records, Cabana is aware that she’s nearing the 1,000-career win mark. Given her track record, it’s likely to happen in the fall.

“What's super cool is that some of the girls on this team were playing when I had my 900th win and, fingers crossed, they are still going to be playing for me when I get to 1,000,” Cabana said. “That would be very exciting.”

Cabana never expected to be coaching this long after initially taking the role. But the thrill of competition and the relationships she forms with her players has kept her coming back. How much longer she will coach before retiring remains fluid.