UTPA nearing decision on tennis coach
The University of Texas-Pan American tennis programs are still without a coach more than five months after the position was open and have been without a permanent coach since Rob Hubbard resigned to take a position at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County late last year.
New athletic director Chris King said that the process of hiring a new coach is in its late stages, adding that UTPA may have taken its time to hire a new coach because it wanted a new AD in place first.
King has worked closely on the decision with former interim AD Ricky Vaughn on the process.
“What I wanted to do was diversify the pool a little bit,” King said. “I wanted to take some time and contact some of my tennis contacts across the country as well. Ricky was going to contact his. We just really wanted to strengthen the pool. My No. 1 deal is we want to make sure we get the right candidate. … I wanted to be able to look more in-depth to potential candidates out there across the country.”
King did not give a time frame as to when they will hire a new coach only that it will be soon. The school has interviewed potential candidates.
The tennis teams competed in the Islander Open two weeks ago on the campus of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. On the men’s side Aswin Vijaragavan won the singles title.
Assistant coach Silke Buksik has helped run the program while the team has been without a coach.
SOUTHLAND BOUND
The men’s tennis program will continue to compete in the Southland Conference despite the rest of the UTPA program’s competing in the Great West, King said.
The AD, who officially begins at UTPA today, said he has not evaluated how long the team will compete in the Southland, which, unlike the Great West, has an automatic bid to an NCAA postseason tournament.
WELCOME ABOARD
The women’s basketball team has two new additions to its coaching staff. Lady Broncs coach Denny Downing brought on G Maeweather to be an assistant and Alana Lara as the Director of Basketball Operations.
Maeweather arrives from Loyola University in Chicago where she spent two seasons as an assistant. Lara previously served as an assistant at St. Edwards University in Austin and played at Collin County Community College.
THE MADNESS
Midnight madness for the men’s and women’s basketball teams is scheduled for 9 p.m. Oct. 16 at the UTPA Fieldhouse.
Peter Rasmussen covers UTPA athletics for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4448. The UTPA notebook runs every other Thursday in The Monitor.
