Sooners hire tennis coach

Jeff Johncox
The Norman Transcript

June 20, 2009 12:17 am

— A familiar name is coming to the Oklahoma tennis program.
John Roddick, older brother to former U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick, was named the new Sooner men’s coach Friday, replacing Paul Lockwood, who stepped down from the position last month after a 22-year run.
“It is rare to find someone with a background as impressive and varied as the one that John brings to Oklahoma,” OU athletics director Joe Castiglione said. “He has been a fixture in the national junior program, has experienced two successful Division I programs, has coached the game at the highest level in the world and was an accomplished player in his own right.”
John Roddick was an assistant coach at Florida State in 1999-2000, then at Georgia, where he was a four-time All-American, from 2000-02, during which time he helped lead the Bulldogs to the 2001 national title and the 2002 team final.
As a player, Roddick was a member of the 1993 and 94 junior National Teams and was ranked No. 6 in singles and No. 3 in doubles.
He’s spent the last eight years running his Roddick Total Tennis academy in San Antonio and Austin, Texas.
“There are a lot of positives at Oklahoma, and I am excited about this opportunity,” Roddick said. “Winning is the culture there and I have a sense that our vision for the program is one and the same. I am committed to developing a strong program that also stresses excellent academic performance.”
The Sooners finished 12-10 last season and 1-5 in the Big 12. They ended the year in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament and had struggled since the Big 12 was founded in 1997, never finishing better than fifth.
But OU has put a lot of money in the program recently.
The Sooners finished work on the Gregg Wadley Tennis Pavilion last year, a state-of-the-art indoor facility that was the talk of the Big 12 Tournament when OU hosted it in April.
“They’ve made a commitment on the facility side of the tennis program that is amazing,” Roddick said. “I won’t have to spend a lot of time convincing recruits that we’re worth a look. It’s a huge leg up.”
Roddick has also helped coach touring pros Mardy Fish, Wayne Odesnik and brother Andy Roddick, who is a former world’s No. 1 and is still currently ranked in the top 10.
“John not only is my brother, but also has helped guide me throughout my career,” Andy Roddick said. “His enthusiasm for collegiate sports is unparalleled and he has a wealth of knowledge to share with these kids.”

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