Clark serves up hope as new tennis coach
By Kavita Thakkar
Issue date: 1/17/08 Section: Sports
The beginning of a new year, for the women's tennis team means a new season and a new coach. Jeff Clark was named the head coach of women's tennis just before Christmas break.
Although he may be new this year to this team, he is certainly not new to the tennis program at UTC. Clark directed both the UTC's women's and men's team from 1988 to 2001.
Before returning to UTC this year, he worked as a private tennis coach and as assistant coach for the University of Mississippi. After leaving Ole Miss he worked at McCallie, teaching some of the top junior players of the area.
In the past, Jeff Clark has led the UTC men's and women's team to the Southern Conference finals and achieved tournament titles. They never dropped out of the top five in the Southern Conference, while he was coach,
In addition to the titles the teams won, several of his individual players received SoCon Honors, and his women's team had the highest grade point average among UTC athletics.
Clark is looking forward to returning into the program and is hoping to bring the women's team back towards the top of the Southern Conference.
"I'm really excited about working with the girls this season, it's a chance for a new start," Clark said.
This will no doubt be a difficult task because of all the great teams in the conference. However, the women are up for the challenge despite the hard work it will take.
One of Clark's goals, as the women's coach, is to get the team to the first ever NCAA tournament for Div. I.
"We have a young but talented team, and we have all worked hard since I've gotten here," Clark said. "We are eager to get on the court and compete and get a better gauge on how our team will fare this season."
During the time in which Clark was not coaching UTC tennis, he said he learned quite a bit from other coaching positions and hopes to bring great success for the UTC women and is looking forward to bringing the team back to the top of the conference with a lot of wins.
Clark is excited to return to Chattanooga as tennis coach because of the outstanding tennis traditions in the town, which he wants to maintain. He is also looking into efforts to bring the Chattanooga tennis community to strongly support UTC tennis.
Jeff Clark said he is extremely pleased with his team so far and is very excited to see the women play in their first match of the new year.
The men's and women's tennis teams kick off the 2008 dual match schedule when they host Lipscomb University at the Hixson Racquet Club center Saturday, Jan. 19, starting at 1 p.m.
Although he may be new this year to this team, he is certainly not new to the tennis program at UTC. Clark directed both the UTC's women's and men's team from 1988 to 2001.
Before returning to UTC this year, he worked as a private tennis coach and as assistant coach for the University of Mississippi. After leaving Ole Miss he worked at McCallie, teaching some of the top junior players of the area.
In the past, Jeff Clark has led the UTC men's and women's team to the Southern Conference finals and achieved tournament titles. They never dropped out of the top five in the Southern Conference, while he was coach,
In addition to the titles the teams won, several of his individual players received SoCon Honors, and his women's team had the highest grade point average among UTC athletics.
Clark is looking forward to returning into the program and is hoping to bring the women's team back towards the top of the Southern Conference.
"I'm really excited about working with the girls this season, it's a chance for a new start," Clark said.
This will no doubt be a difficult task because of all the great teams in the conference. However, the women are up for the challenge despite the hard work it will take.
One of Clark's goals, as the women's coach, is to get the team to the first ever NCAA tournament for Div. I.
"We have a young but talented team, and we have all worked hard since I've gotten here," Clark said. "We are eager to get on the court and compete and get a better gauge on how our team will fare this season."
During the time in which Clark was not coaching UTC tennis, he said he learned quite a bit from other coaching positions and hopes to bring great success for the UTC women and is looking forward to bringing the team back to the top of the conference with a lot of wins.
Clark is excited to return to Chattanooga as tennis coach because of the outstanding tennis traditions in the town, which he wants to maintain. He is also looking into efforts to bring the Chattanooga tennis community to strongly support UTC tennis.
Jeff Clark said he is extremely pleased with his team so far and is very excited to see the women play in their first match of the new year.
The men's and women's tennis teams kick off the 2008 dual match schedule when they host Lipscomb University at the Hixson Racquet Club center Saturday, Jan. 19, starting at 1 p.m.
