Intercollegiate Tennis Association

Darnesha Moore is the head men's and women's coach at Alcorn State. Darnesha battled through adversity in her young life to pursue her goals as a tennis player and now as a college coach. She wasted no time in moving through the coaching ranks, starting her career as a volunteer coach at Southern University and Lousiana State University before taking over both programs at Alcorn State at the young age of 23. In this podcast, we discuss some of the challenges she faced as a child, her progress through the HBCU system, and some things she learned from her experiences in the USTA Professional Coaching Program, the ITA/USTA Mentorship Program, and from Coach Andy Brandi at LSU.

Rodney Harmon is in his ninth season as the head women’s tennis coach at Georgia Tech. In his eight seasons as head coach at Georgia Tech, Harmon has posted a 145-69 career record. Most of you know Rodney as one of the top coaches in college tennis. But did you know that he made the quarterfinals of the US Open while still enrolled as a student-athlete at SMU? Did you know that he was the first African-American male to become the president of the PTR in 2018? His list of accomplishments to date is truly amazing and there are many more yet to come. In this podcast we discuss some of Rodney's playing accomplishments, his early days coaching the men's tennis team at Miami, and his experience coaching the top U.S. players while at the USTA. Rodney also provides some viewpoints on the lack of diversity in the game of tennis and amongst college tennis coaching ranks.

John Roddick, Director of Tennis at the University of Central Florida, has coached in the junior academy space and the pro ranks but has spent the majority of his coaching career in the college coaching world. Roddick's first collegiate coaching jobs were as assistants at Florida State (1999-2000) and Georgia (2000-02). During his two-year stint with Georgia, the Bulldogs won the national championship (2001) and finished as runners-up (2002). During his time as the head men’s coach at the University of Oklahoma, he led the team to three consecutive NCAA finals, winning Big 12 titles and many other awards along the way. He is now in the process of attempting to build a similar list of accomplishments at UCF. He was named the UCF Director of Tennis on May 29, 2016. He serves as the men's head coach with oversight of both the men's and women's programs. In this podcast, John discusses how he went about building the program at Oklahoma and provides advice to coaches as to what they should prioritize when taking over a program, how to build upon any early successes they may enjoy, and lots of other great insights. Key parts of this conversation have been minute-marked for your listening convenience: 01:17 - Why did you choose to start your college tennis coaching career after graduating? 02:30 - What about college coaching did you enjoy the most? 03:46 - Why did it make sense for you to step away and become an ATP coach? 06:12 - Do you regret the decision to step into professional coaching? 06:48 - Did your time away from the college game change the way you view player development? What lessons did you take away from those experiences? 09:13 - Is there anything about the recruiting process that you'd like to share with coaches - tips or advice? 11:29 - What are some behaviors that you look for when recruiting? 13:03 - What do you believe you brought to the program at Oklahoma to help take them to the quarterfinals in your first year? 16:40 - How can a coach ensure that they capitalize on any success they have early in their tenure? 19:49 - Do you think the job changes in any way to sustain success or do you continue to grind away? 22:26 - What advice do you have for coaches on what they should prioritize in their first three months on the job? 24:15 - How did you develop an understanding of what really matters? 27:29 - What is your player development process? 29:54 - Do you have concerns about the future of college tennis? 40:14 - How would you encourage coaches to prioritize the other aspects of their program to help them continue to have a program for decades to come? Rapid Fire Questions: 42:11 - What is a book that made a major impact on you as a coach? 42:50 - Do you have a favorite drill that you do with your players? 44:02 - Name one thing you have changed your mind on in recent years? 45:13 - Do you have a favorite quote? 46:41 - Is there one lesson you hope your players have learned by the time they leave UCF?

Jaron Maestas spent 12 years as the Head Tennis Professional at Philcrest Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma before entering the college coaching ranks, taking over as the head women's coach at the University of Central Oklahoma in 2016. With each passing year, Jaron's teams surpass the successes of the previous year. In 2020, he and Scott Linn (MSU) co-hosted the inaugural ITA D II Indoor National Championships in Oklahoma City. This is not the type of project many coaches are willing to take on and is just another example of how Jaron goes above and beyond his job description. Jaron is very clear on what he is trying to accomplish at UCO, does not make excuses, and is very resourceful. He is a great example of how you go about making your program relevant within your athletic department, university, and surrounding tennis community. Key parts of this conversation have been minute-marked for your listening convenience: 01:50 - What were some of the professional development lessons that you learned during your time at Philcrest? 06:37 - Do you think you were ready to become a head coach after your time at Philcrest? 08:14 - How did you end up at the University of Central Oklahoma? 13:01 - What potential did you see at UCO and what promises did you make? How did you follow through on those promises? 20:00 - Does it get easier once you have established a culture and expectations? 21:23 - How do you continue to build upon the success of the previous year? 24:59 - How have you made your team relevant on campus? 29:51 - Why bother with the stress of hosting an Indoor National Championship? 35:44 - What advice can you give coaches about fundraising? What have you learned in the last few years? 41:33 - What is keeping you up at night right now when it pertains to the current climate in college tennis? Rapid Fire Questions 44:18 - Is there a book that motivates you? 44:56 - What is your favorite drill? 45:34 - Name one thing you've changed your mind on in recent years? 46:27 - Do you have a favorite quote? 47:15 - What is one lesson you hope your players learn before they leave your program?

The worst professional news a college coach could ever receive is to be told that their program has been cancelled. Too many coaches have had to deal with this terrible news over the last few months. Kendall Brooks, the former head women’s coach at St. Edwards, discusses her experience of losing her program earlier this summer. In 2018 she led the team to their highest national ranking in school history and were runners-up in their conference. However, all her efforts in bringing the team to national prominence were not considered when the program was canceled in May. In 2018, Brooks brought the Hilltoppers to their highest national ranking in school history at #17 and was named the Wilson ITA South Central Coach of the year Kendall takes listeners through this unexpected experience and provides coaches with some advice should they face a similar fate. Key parts of this conversation have been minute-marked for your listening convenience: 01:45 - When you accepted the position at St. Edwards, were you aware of any possibility that the program would be in jeopardy? 02:50 - Did you ever feel any concerns in the last few years of the program being in jeopardy? 04:35 - Did you experience any budget cuts or were you asked to increase roster size? 05:00 - Were you involved in any fundraising projects or asked to help? 06:40 - Did the decision to cut the program make sense in hindsight or are you still confused? 07:23 - Do you believe any of your great accomplishments were considered when they cut the program and does winning matter at all? 08:30 - How did you hear about the program cut and how did you share the news about the cut with your players? 10:14 - Do you think the program cut was in the works beforehand? 10:45 - Who was on the call when you received the news of the program cut? 11:23 - What are the emotions following the news & how do you communicate that news? 14:10 - Was assistance or information did the athletic department provide to you? 15:27 - If you had received more time about the news of a program cut, what would you have done? 18:18 - What were the reasons provided to you for the cut? Why tennis? 19:24 - Is there anything that you would have done differently in years gone by? What advice do you have? 22:17 - Do you plan to return to college tennis? 24:04 - What was your relationship like with your sport supervisor? Who did you report to? 25:10 - If you did go back to college coaching - would you go to your Athletic Director and have the conversation about program sustainability? 26:10 - Is there any advice for coaches who may be concerned about cuts or for coaches that have experienced cuts? 28:14 - Do you have any advice on how to handle program cancellation from a mental perspective? 29:30 - Do you think St. Edward's University will reinstate tennis in the future?

It would take several podcasting hours to learn all we could from Geoff Macdonald. He has coached at LSU and Duke and has spent the last 26 years as the head women’s coach at Vanderbilt. He has won a lot of college dual matches and an NCAA team title and has also seen several players go on to see success on the WTA tour. He has long been considered one of the brightest and most interesting coaches we have in the college game and always has some interesting insights every time we speak with him. In this episode, we cover what coaches should consider when moving from one head coaching position to another, his views on player development, and the skills the next generation of college coaches will need to be successful. This conversation took place before he changed roles with long time assistant coach Aleke Tsoubanos. This type of role change may seem surprising to some but those that know Geoff well know that he looks at things a little differently than many of the rest of us. Key parts of this conversation have been minute-marked for your listening convenience: 02:15 - Why did it make sense for you to move on from successful programs? 04:24 - What factors do you think coaches should consider when moving from one program to another? 05:36 - What qualities and skillset did you bring to the table that facilitate program success? 07:30 - Why college tennis? Why not stay in the private sector or work with professional players? 10:16 - What are some of the elements of your coaching style that have remained with you wherever you've coached? 12:37 - Were your coaching techniques a quick switch or did it progress over time? 14:40 - Where do you think your initial coaching methodology developed? 19:03 - What are some of the things you wish you had applied to your program sooner? 21:37 - How do you assist with player development and processes? 23:44 - When you are recruiting players, do you have a system for player development? 28:22 - How do you think your teams continue to get better and believe they are capable as they progress? 32:52 - What has changed for you as a college coach or the college coaching industry and what changes do you anticipate to see in the future? 36:29 - What skills do you think coaches should be learning to move them forward in their careers? 39:28 - How would you encourage coaches to start thinking and developing their own coaching principles? Rapid Fire Questions: 42:58 - Is there a book that made a major impact on you as a coach? 44:27 - Do you have a favorite drill? 47:41 - Is there one thing you've changed your mind on in recent years? 48:16 - Do you have a favorite quote? 51:43 - What is one lesson you hope your players have learned by the time they leave your program?

Cristina Moros is the Head Women’s Tennis Coach at the University of South Florida. She was a four-time All-American at the University of Texas before moving into the world of high-performance junior development. Cristina came to college tennis relatively late in her coaching career but has wasted no time in becoming one of our most respected coaches at the Division I level. In this podcast we discuss why she chose to leave high-performance junior tennis for the college coaching world, what key lessons she learned playing for Jeff Moore, how she balances work and family as a single mother, and gather some of her perspectives on being a woman of color in the world of intercollegiate athletics plus a lot more. Key parts of this conversation have been minute-marked for your listening convenience: 01:23 - How did Jeff Moore influence you as a college tennis coach? 03:47 - Are you cultivating Jeff's high-level competitiveness culture in your team? 05:53 - Why did you take a long break between your college playing career and becoming a college tennis coach? 07:56 - Do you regret the decision to not become a Top 50 player and continue a professional career? 08:46 - What pushed you over the edge to become a college tennis coach? 10:50 - How do you think you have evolved over the last few years as a coach? 12:58 - How do you connect with your student-athletes? 15:25 - Do you use social media to connect with your current student-athletes? 17:10 - Do you have any tips/insights for how you manage your time so well? 20:51 - Why do you believe it is important to serve college tennis and what advice do you have for coaches to get involved? 22:46 - Do you believe that being a woman of color has hurt you from a recruiting standpoint? 25:28 - How can we increase the level of diversity among college tennis? 29:30 - Is there a book that has had a major impact on you as a coach? 30:20 - Do you have a favorite drill? 32:08 - What is one thing you've changed your mind on in recent years in coaching or in life? 32:59 - What is your favorite quote? 33:41 - What is one lesson you hope your players have learned by the time they leave your program? For Cristina's book recommendation, "Sum It Up" by Pat Summit, click here!

Paul Drake of First-Cardio Performance has spent the last several years immersing himself in the world of college tennis. He has worked with several of the top Division I college tennis programs, allowing them to train their athletes in a much more efficient manner which in turns increases the probability that the team will truly maximize their potential on the court. He takes the guesswork out of how hard to train, how much to recover, and understanding when players are overtraining or potentially burning-out. Paul also discusses how programs can start tracking vital data on their athletes for little to no money. In this conversation we build upon the last “Expert Interview" with Nick Winkelman; understand that less can definitely be more and how we now have no shortage of science to back up this old cliche. Key parts of this conversation have been marked for your listening convenience: 01:35 - How did you end up in the college tennis landscape with such a diverse background in cardio? 03:35 - How does having a strong cardiovascular system help student-athletes? 04:31 - Why do you believe it is better to condition a tennis athlete on a bike rather than a court? 08:10 - How efficient are your workout routines? 10:40 - What is a starting point for a coach looking to understand how to use heart rate and analyze that data? 13:44 - What do I do with my heart rate data? 17:06 - How did your routines work for previous student-athletes like Paul Jubb (South Carolina)? 22:40 - Are there recommendations that you have post-practice/post-match? 26:22 - What does a sample conditioning week look like? 31:43 - What is your ideal pre-match routine? 38:30 - What advice do you have for coaches moving into a new mindset with heart rate training & recovery?

Adam Steinberg has covered a lot of ground during his college coaching career and has learned much along the way. His started at St. John's University before moving to Northwestern to become the assistant coach under Paul Toricelli. He was then named the head men’s coach at the University of Alabama before moving on to Pepperdine and now finds himself at the University of Michigan. Adam has a string of outstanding accomplishments including the 2006 NCAA team title during his 13 year tenure at Pepperdine. In this episode we discuss why Adam moved from a head coaching position at St. John's to the assistant position at Northwestern, his NCAA title prediction in his interview at Pepperdine and how he helped turn that prediction into a reality. We also spend a lot of our time discussing his coaching philosophy and the high energy culture he creates wherever he goes. Key parts of this conversation have been marked for your listening convenience: 01:54 - Why was the decision to go from a head coach to an assistant coach a good decision for you? 07:21 - How do you think you were in a better position when you made the transition from head coach to assistant coach to head coach again? 09:37 - Did you really promise a National Championship in 4 years when you were interviewed for the head coach position at Pepperdine University? 11:55 - How did you build your program and know that your team was in a position to win the title? 15:29 - Were there any specific weaknesses you felt like you needed to "drill" in to? 17:26 - How do you help facilitate leadership with your team? 21:13 - Where does your high energy philosophy stem from? 26:18 - How do you establish a culture of energy, especially with a new program? 30:58 - How do you identify players who fit into your high energy culture? 33:47 - Are there any specific questions that you use to help you identify the players that fit your culture? 37:54 - How would you help to encourage a coach to find their identity and build values? 41:43 - How do you go about showing your players that you care about them first and foremost as a student and person and then an athlete second? 45:30 - What is a book that has made a major impact on you as a coach? 46:35 - What is your favorite drill? 48:00 - What would you say is one thing that you have changed your mind on in life or in coaching in recent years? 50:37 - What is your favorite quote? 51:54 - What is one lesson you hope your players learn by the time they leave your program?

Coach Dick Gould is truly a college tennis coaching legend. As the head men’s tennis coach at Stanford for 38 years his teams won 17 NCAA team championships and he holds a record of 776 wins and 148 losses. He has coached 10 NCAA singles champions, 7 NCAA doubles champions, 50 All-Americans, and nine players who reached the top 15 in the ATP world singles rankings. In this podcast Coach Gould discusses recruiting, fundraising, time management and many other lessons he learned along the way. His fundraising efforts match his winning percentage on the court. He never took the future of the Stanford program for granted. As you will learn through this conversation he worked tirelessly to endow every aspect of Stanford tennis so that future Stanford coaches would never have to worry about the sustainability of the programs. Key parts of this conversation have been marked for your listening convenience: 02:02 - How did you go about recruiting the top tennis players in the country and the world - and convince them that Stanford was viable for their talents? 13:48 - What are some of the recruiting traits you used that are ageless and could apply to coaches today? 17:46 - When you speak with recruits and they ask "where am I going to play" - how did you answer that question? 23:10 - What are some of the key lessons that you learned along the way? 24:49 - What player or team taught you the most as a coach? 28:43 - Is there a mistake that you made with a player that really stands out to you? 31:17 - Are there any time management strategies that were effective for you that would benefit other coaches? 37:09 - Do you believe that college tennis has "lost its way" in recent years? 44:30 - What should college coaches be doing right now? 45:30 - What advice do you have for coaches about fundraising? 47:42 - What is the most common questions asked of you by coaches?

Nick Winkelman is the former director of education and training systems for EXOS, formerly known as Athletes Performance. There he supported, NBA, national sports organizations and the military. He is currently the head of athletic performance and science for the Irish Rugby National Team who are ranked No. 4 in the world. He is an internationally recognized speaker on human performance and coaching science. In this podcast, Nick takes us through the coaching loop, why cueing is so important for tennis players and especially for those returning from injury or a long break, why coaches should learn to speak less to their athletes during training and competition along with more information that is valuable to college tennis coaches. Nick has graciously offered ITA Member Coaches a 20% discount for his book The Language of Coaching through June 30, 2020. Visit thelanguageofcoaching.com, click the "order now" button and provide the discount code: TLOC20. Key parts of this conversation have been marked for your listening convenience: 01:51 - Tell us about "the coaching communication loop!" 07:08 - What are the differences between internal and external focus? 17:54 - Tell us about the continuum of "Coaching Cues." 32:00 - What are your thoughts on the power of simplicity? 33:54 - What advice do you have for coaches to take a step back from giving your players all the information during a game (communicating too much)? 45:43 - When you're preparing for a coaching session - are you already thinking about your analogies you're going to share with your players or are you catering your analogies to each player? 51:20 - Talk about cueing during athletes returning from injury. 56:30 - Would you encourage coaches to share Rob Gray's work with their strength and conditioning coach and athletic trainers? 58:15 - Are cues only good for improving movement or do they do something else?

Lauren Conching enters her eighth season as the head women’s tennis coach and third year serving as Assistant Athletic Director at Hawai‘i Pacific University. She holds a of 135-38 (.780) with seven trips to the NCAA National Championships, including five semifinal appearances and two quarterfinal berths. Conching is also an Assistant Athletics Director for the Sharks and added the title of Senior Woman Administrator in 2018. She is in charge of apparel and branding for the department, marketing and promotional materials for the various athletics teams and assisting throughout multiple facets within the department. Active within the coaching community, Conching is a member of the ITA Board of Directors and serves on several committees including NCAA Coaches Commission, the ITA West Regional Ranking Committee, the ITA West Regional Award Committee and the ITA Ethics Committee. Prior to becoming head coach, Conching spent five seasons as an assistant at HPU under Stefan Pampulov. In all five of those seasons, HPU reached the NCAA National Championships. In 2010, she was named the ITA National Assistant Coach of the Year. On this episode, we discuss how she manages being a coach and athletic department administrator. Also, we discuss how she sets expectations for herself, her student-athletes and her department. We discuss how coaches can take a better leadership role within their departments as well as how administrators are dealing with the COVID-19 crisis and much more! Key parts of this conversation have been marked for your listening convenience: 01:34 - What is your experience as a student-athlete and then moving into coaching? 05:47 - In what year did you take on administrative duties at Hawaii Pacific University? 06:46 - What qualities did the Athletic Director see in you as an administrator? 08:57 - How has your time as an administrator changed your outlook on college tennis or college athletics specifically? 10:42 - How do you balance your administrative, family and coaching responsibilities? 12:35 - How do you break down where you put your focus? 13:55 - Has the progression of perfection been slow or have you just realized it? 15:40 - What are your major concerns right now in college sports? 18:23 - What themes do you see emerging in how college athletics will operate in the future? 21:38 - What advice do you have on program budgets in the future? 25:57 - How can coaches show leadership capabilities and take a leadership position within their athletic department? 28:18 - What's the best thing and worst thing about being married to the Head Men's Tennis coach at Hawaii Pacific University? 30:11 - What advice do you have for couples in the coaching career? 31:07 - What is one book that made a major impact on you as a coach? 31:56 - What is your favorite drill to do with your team? 32:41 - Name one thing you have changed your mind on in recent years? 32:24 - Do you have a favorite quote? 33:45 - What is one lesson you hope your student-athletes have learned by the time they leave your program?

Joey Scrivano is in his 18th season with Baylor and the guest in this week's College Tennis Coaches Podcast. In his 18 seasons leading the Baylor women's tennis program, Scrivano has put his Lady Bears among the nation's elite, along with 19 combined Big 12 Conference championships between regular season and tournament titles. He led Baylor to an impressive 14-straight trips to the NCAA Tournament from 2005-18, and Baylor earned trips to the NCAA Final Four in 2008 and 2011. During that 14-year span, Baylor compiled an astounding 125-16 (.887) record. Scrivano was promoted from head coach to the director of women's tennis in July 2016. On this episode, we discuss how he stays ahead of the curve with all things player development and his process for planning his student-athletes practice schedule. Also, we talk about why he videos all of his practices and how tennis has become such an influential aspect of Baylor Athletics and the Waco, Texas community. Key points of this conversation have been indexed for easy listening here: 02:01 - Why do you think that player development is such an important aspect of your coaching career? 05:08 - What things are you exploring that will help your student-athletes progress in their playing career? 07:34 - How do evaluate changes and adapt to your team? Are you taking feedback from your student-athletes? 09:40 - How have you been able to instill a high level of professionalism in your student-athletes? 11:00 - How do you figure out where student-athletes fit in your profile? 13:13 - What is your process for planning your practices? 15:20 - Do you record all of your practices? 16:33 - Do you have a form of reflection on your own coaching? Do you go back and analyze the job that you have done as a coach? 20:54 - What is the biggest theme that you really struggle with when you're trying to develop players? What solutions do you have when you come across that hinderance? 23:40 - Has being a father helped you with your coaching style and ego? 24:49 - Have you had to adapt how you develop players with changing generations? 27:42 - Where do you spend the majority of your time outside of recruiting and player development? 29:56 - How do you develop relationships with sport supervisors? 32:09 - How did tennis become so influential at Baylor? 35:53 - What else are you doing within the community that is allowing you to have such a high level of stature within your athletic department? 40:40 - What recommendations or quick tips do you have for coaches on how they can maximize their facility? 43:25 - What is a book that made a major impact on you as a coach? 45:41 - What is your favorite drill? 45:55 - Name one thing you've changed your mind on in recent years - in coaching or in life? 47:00 - What is your favorite quote? 47:37 - What is one lesson that you hope your players learn by the time they leave Baylor?

This is the second in our series of interviews with an expert. This month speak with Dr. Bill Moore who also happens to be a former college tennis coach. Dr. Moore is an influential author, international speaker and executive coach. He has trained world class athletes, performing artists and business professionals all over the world. In the past several years Dr. Moore has dedicated much of his professional time to helping sales professionals be more effective in their prospecting abilities. In this podcast we talk about how coaches can go from having a fear of failure to having an excitement for success, the beliefs held by confident recruiters, how a coach can manage their reluctance around self promotion and much much more Key points of this conversation have been indexed for easy listening here: 01:12 - What is your experience as a college tennis coach and player? 03:45 - What are some of the common themes that emerge from those that change their thinking and habits? 11:02 - What are some the issues that you see that hold people back from achieving their sales/recruiting goals? 14:16 - How do you focus on promoting your program/university rather than promoting yourself? 18:22 - How can coaches make the switch from a "fear of failure" mindset to the excitement for success? 23:01 - What are the beliefs and actions of confident recruiters? 27:05 - What are some other tools that coaches can use to build their confidence when recruiting? 29:19 - How would a coach know if they have a lack of motivation for recruiting or if they are a reluctant recruiter? 30:30 - How would you encourage coaches to manage interferences/disruptions? 34:25 - What is your definition of high performance? 39:17 - Do you have any strategies for coaches to deal with inevitable ups and downs and pressure? 41:50 - How could coaches find ways to keep players engaged over the summer & continue team culture?

If you want to learn how to maximize your operating budget, this is the episode for you! Mark Ardizzone just completed his first year as the Associate Head Women's Coach at Florida State University. Mark was the Head Coach at Depaul University for 23 seasons leading the team to four Big East Championships. He was also named the ITA Midwest Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2014 and won Big East Coach of the Year honors five times. Mark discusses his humble beginnings in tennis, his transition into college tennis coaching, how he went about maximizing every penny in his budget during his early days at Depaul and how that penny pinching has served him well throughout his college career. He provides some expertise on International Recruiting and shares some hilarious stories from some of his trips to Europe. Key points of this conversation have been indexed for easy listening here: 01:27 - What are some of your experiences as a junior player and college tennis student-athlete? 06:33 - How did you move into college tennis coaching? 10:40 - How would you encourage coaches to maximize their operating budgets? 14:25 - When did you take your first international recruiting trip and what did you learn? 17:26 - How did you find ways to stretch your budget when you were recruiting internationally? 23:11 - How did you break down the barriers of international recruiting and build trust? 26:02 - What is your most memorable international recruiting experience? 30:40 - How has your coaching experience changed while going from Mid-Major to Power Five 33:57 - What changes have you seen in college tennis in the last couple of decades that concern you? 38:00 - What is your hope for the future of college tennis? 41:48 - Is there a book that has made a major impact on you as a coach? 43:49 - Do you have a favorite tennis drill? 46:33 - Name one thing you've changed your mind on in recent years? 48:11 - What is one lesson you hope your players have learned from you as they leave your program?

Pam Rende has led both the men’s and women’s tennis programs at Division III Arcadia for the past 5 seasons. However, Pam has been coaching for over 20 years in the Philadelphia area and has worked with players of all levels from beginner to grand slam participants. She serves on the board of the USTA Philadelphia Area Tennis District and is working towards her PTR Master of Tennis certification. In this podcast we discuss how Pam manages two college teams while running L3 Tennis and leading a staff of seven full time pros and up to 20 seasonal pros. We discuss some of the assumptions people make about a woman coaching a men’s team, why continuing education is so important for coaches and if college coaches should consider pursuing a coaching certification. Pam also provides some great answers to our newly implemented rapid fire round. Key points of this conversation have been indexed for easy listening here: 01:35 - How did you know that tennis would be the sport you would dedicate your life to? 04:25 - Why did you land on college tennis coaching - what interested you in becoming a coach? 06:19 - Being a female coach, how did the men's team accept you as a their coach when you came on board? 10:05 - Have you found any differences between coaching men and coaching women? 13:55 - Toggling between both genders, how did you develop being able to balance coaching these genders? 14:55 - How do you go about developing relationships with student-athletes? 18:00 - Do you see the gender bias statistics of women as coaches reflected in college athletics? 21:25 - Do you have any advice for young female coaches that are starting out in this profession? 23:30 - How do you manage your time and do you have any management tips/tools? 27:00 - What are some of the coaching programs that you have attended for coaching development? 32:11 - What are some of the lessons that you have learned in life outside of college athletics that have helped you as a coach? 36:51 - What is a book that made a major impact on you as a coach? 37:29 - What is your favorite drill? 39:50 - Name one thing that you have changed your mind on in recent years - in coaching or life! 40:11 - Do you have a favorite quote? 41:10 - What is one lesson you hope your players have learned by the time they leave?

This is a special release of the ITA College Tennis Coaches Podcast! Dr. Jim Loehr is a world renowned performance psychologist and author of 16 books. Dr. Loehr has worked with hundreds of world-class performers from the arenas of sport, business, medicine and law enforcement. He is well known in the tennis industry for his work with Grand Slam champions Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario. He is the co-founder of the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute which delivers a science-based energy management training solution to a wide array of industry leaders including 25 of the Fortune 100 companies, Olympic Gold Medalists and the Special Forces. Key points of this conversation have been indexed for easy listening here: 01:45 - What stories should the coaches be telling their student-athletes in this time of uncertainty? 08:58 - How could college coaches be leaders not only for their teams, but for their athletic departments and communities? 15:45 - How can coaches build resilience in themselves? 19:45 - How should coaches find their purpose and why? 22:28 - How do you encourage coaches to be less concerned about wins/losses and more about their athlete's development? 29:19 - What does the shift in career look like as a coach? How did they shift their attention and focus back to the development of the student-athletes? 35:07 - How would you encourage coaches to increase their skillset in player development? 40:33 - Do you have a story about a student-athlete/player that you worked with that went through personal development? 49:13 - How would you encourage coaches to have players adopt their leadership style and team culture?

Matt Hill is the head men’s coach at Arizona State University. He began his coaching career as a volunteer at Alabama, moved to the assistant coaching role at Mississippi State before taking over the program at the University of South Florida. There he inherited a team with a losing record, and 4 years later found themselves in the round of 16 at the NCAA tournament. After his success at USF he was named the head coach of the newly reinstated men’s program at Arizona State in 2016, and helped his team to an NCAA berth in just their first year of competition.Matt is one of those rare coaches who appear to excel in all areas of running a college tennis program. He not only has a clear vision for his program at ASU but also a vision for college tennis. Matt’s insights and execution of marketing and fundraising are second to none, and I believe every college coach in the country can learn something from this conversation. Key points of this conversation have been indexed for easy listening here: 01:45 - What are some of the steps that you took in the first 3 months of your positions that set you up for success? 04:35 - What are some of the qualities that you look for in an assistant coach? 06:10 - How do you think you are able to convince accomplished players to believe in a losing/new program? 10:01 - What lessons did you learn along the way to set you up to have success along the way? 13:09 - How do you believe you're juggling priorities to build a successful program? 17:06 - What are some of the things that you implement to engage the community & bring fans out? 22:04 - Do you believe that coaches in general have lost sight of the bigger picture? 25:01 - Do you believe that charging admission for college tennis matches is possible? 29:37 - How can coaches get ahead of the discussion of budget cuts? 36:09 - How did you identify and build relationships with potential donors? 38:04 - Are there easier asks from donors - are there traditional items that are easier to ask for? 40:53 - What message do you have for coaches about mindset surrounding the build of your program?

Dash Connell is one of the lucky coaches who have the unique honor to coach at their alma mater. He was an All-American at Tyler Junior College before moving on to play for the Texas A & M Aggies under Tim Cass. He returned to Tyler in 2009 to work for his former coach John Peterson, before taking over the head coaching duties in 2011 as interim head coach for one year, being named head coach in 2012. Dash discusses what it was like to follow in the footsteps of a legendary coach in John Peterson, what he learned from him and how he handles the expectations for the tennis program at Tyler. We talk about some the myths college coaches have around junior intercollegiate tennis, the pros and cons of recruiting junior college players and much more. Key points of this conversation have been indexed for easy listening here: 01:44 - What attracted you to Tyler Junior College? 04:02 - At what point did you figure out that you might want to be a college tennis coach? 05:41 - What qualities did coaches see in you to make you an offer as a coach? 07:01 - What profound lessons did you learn early on from your coaches? 10:57 - Did you feel a lot of pressure to emulate your coaches success? 12:35 - How do you personally manage the pressure to succeed? 14:25 - What were some of the unexpected surprises that you faced when transitioning through your coaching career? 16:47 - How did you put your own personality & philosophy on your team? How did you make your program, your own? 20:07 - What myths do you think exist in the realm of college coaching ranks about Junior College tennis? 22:15 - What are the similarities between Junior College tennis and other divisions? 24:02 - What are the pros & cons of recruiting Junior College tennis student-athletes? Why should other coaches consider recruiting Junior College tennis student-athletes? 26:01 - What are some of the challenges that you face? 28:42 - Why do you think up and coming coaches should consider coaching at the Junior College level? 31:22 - How would you advise Junior College coaches and coaches at any other levels to maximize their potential?

Marisa Arce is in her 5th year as a head women’s tennis coach and has nearly completed her first year as the head coach at Depaul University. She started her college coaching career as a volunteer assistant at the University of Oklahoma in 2012 shortly after graduating from the University of Illinois. In this episode we discuss her decision to start her career as a volunteer, if it was worth it and how she has transitioned from volunteer to assistant coach and on to becoming a head coach. We discuss the challenges of combining college coaching and parenting and how she is navigating her new job, her new-born baby and all the other obligations she is facing at this point in her young coaching career. Key points of this conversation have been indexed for easy listening here: 2:14 - When did it dawn on you that your career would be as a college tennis coach? 4:20 - What was the feedback you were getting from the programs that you were applying to? 8:35 - What was different about moving into a full-time assistant role? 17:05 - "Better Allies" by Karen Catlin - 37% of Women's Tennis coaches are women. 18:20 - Do you think that a male athletic director would have hired you knowing that you were nine-months pregnant at the time? 23:23 - How do you deal with the struggle of having a family and being a coach? What adjustments did you have to make? 29:05 - Are there any lessons that you apply today that you learned from any of your coaches along the way that you're applying to your team today?

Silviu Tanasoiu is the head men's coach at Cornell. He is setting records at Cornell with his team currently ranked #16 in the ITA Rankings. Prior to coming to Cornell he was the assistant men’s coach at the University of Oklahoma. We discuss Silviu's journey from Romania to the U.S.A., his time on the WTA tour, his approach to learning and networking, why he turned down his dream job and what lessons he is learned to date in his young head coaching career. This is a must listen episode for all college coaches but especially for young international coaches hoping to make a career as a college tennis coach.

Brian Boland has over 600 victories while serving as the head coach of Indiana State, Virginia and Baylor. He won four national championships in a five year span while at Virginia. He has coached 13 teams who have gone undefeated in conference play and one perfect season at Virginia, going 30-0 in 2013. He has already made his mark at Baylor winning the Big 12 Tournament Title in 2019. In this conversation we discuss Brian’s early days as a coach at Indiana State, his development as a college coach and his ability to focus. Despite Brian’s obvious passion for college coaching and a never ending resume of incredible accolades, he still has his struggles, doubts and frustrations, just like the rest of us.

Amy Bryant is the first female in NCAA history to win the national team championship as both a coach and a player. She has been the head coach of the Emory Women's Tennis team since 2000 and has garnered a number of impressive achievements along the way. However, what many of you probably don't know about Amy is that she has spearheaded an Integrity Initiative which has permeated throughout the Emory athletic department. She is joined on the podcast by Audrey Hester, Assistant AD for Student-Athlete Success & Compliance, to explain how and why they started this program, how it has developed over the last few years, and provide suggestions as to how college tennis coaches can work to infuse their own teams and athletic departments with a culture of integrity.

Kevin’s head coaching career began at Fresno State in 2000. He then moved out east to William & Mary and after five highly successful seasons he decided to take a break from college tennis to coach on the WTA tour and open a bakery in Colorado! He made his return to the college game in 2012 when he was named the head women’s coach at the University of South Carolina. Under his guidance the team’s results have improved every year and have broken numerous program records along the way. He was named the ITA NCAA Division 1 Women’s Head Coach of the Year in 2019. In this podcast we discuss some of the lessons he learned from Billie Jean King and several of the top female tennis players of all time, plus how the college tennis game has evolved and his approach to learning and coaching.

Sheila McInerney kicks off her 36th season as the head women’s tennis coach at Arizona State University. In that time her teams have made 32 consecutive NCAA tournaments & 18 Round of 16 appearances. She was a 4 time All-American at USC & competed in Wimbledon, the French Open & the US Open. In this conversation Sheila reflects upon her time as a coach, how she stays connected with her players & the ever changing recruiting landscape.

Jeff Moore has a fascinating background as a coach, educator, speaker, consultant, author and much, much more. He was the Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach at Colorado for 6 seasons before switching to becoming the Head Women’s Coach at the University of Texas in 1982. He spent the next 23 years at Texas where his teams won 2 NCAA Championships, appeared in 2 NCAA finals, and won 18 conference titles.

Chase Hodges is the record setting coach at Georgia Gwinnett. Chase and his teams have dominated NAIA play in recent years, with his men’s team currently sitting on a 109 match winning streak! Chase has won big at every college tennis program he has coached, leading 6 of the 7 teams he has coached to their first ever ITA ranking. In this conversation we explore Chase’s approach to recruiting and how he has gone about turning a brand new program into a national powerhouse.

Claire Pollard, the head women’s tennis coach at Northwestern University, has dominated Big 10 conference play for over two decades. She has had teams and individual players ranked as high as No. 1 in the ITA rankings and has won countless coaching awards along the way. In this conversation Claire discusses what she learned from coaching the men’s team at Lamar, her coaching philosophy, and how she is able to get the most of her student-athletes.

Greg is very clear on why he was a college coach for so many years, and I found it truly inspiring to feel his passion for helping young people develop. Greg is a tremendous example of how any college tennis coach can have a deep impact on a community and countless lives through college tennis, without having to win a bunch of NCAA titles in the process.

In this first episode of the ITA College Tennis Coaches Podcast, Dave Mullins speaks with David Roditi, the head men’s tennis coach at Texas Christian University (TCU).