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Tennis begins at Texas in 1884

Unlike Texas Basketball, Football, Track And Baseball There Are Very Few Books Or Research Material That Discuss Longhorn tennis.  I Hope With Time This Site Can Add Some Historical Insight And Tell The Full And Compelling Story Of The Texas tennis Tradition. 

In the beginning Competition is primarily limited to UT students and UT organizations.

1901-  D.A. Penick

THE HANDBOOK OF TEXAS SAYS ABOUT COACH PENICK

Joined the University of Texas in 1899 as an instructor. Penick was known in the state and nation as a brilliantly successful tennis coach. In 1901 he led a campaign to get the university to provide tennis equipment for players and to stop charging students for time on the courts. He was an unofficial tennis coach for the university team until 1940, at which time he was put on modified status as professor of classics and tennis coach.

1908- 1957-  Coach Dr. D.A. Penick

While associated with the tennis team he participated in: 

• all ten of the Southwest Conference team titles awarded;

• thirty-one of the forty individual doubles championships;

• twenty-six of the forty individual singles championships;

• five national doubles championships;

• two national singles championships; and

• coached two members of Davis Cup teams.

Penick served as president of the Southwest Conference for twelve years, from 1923 to 1934, and president of the Texas Tennis Association for more than fifty years. He was voted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1962.

Penick is a great teacher who conveys his  knowledge of the basics of Tennis to the players.  

1909 Coach Dr. D.A. Penick

Charles Granger was an All American

1911- Coach Dr. D.A. Penick

1913 - Coach Dr. D.A. Penick

1916 - Coach Dr. D.A. Penick

1919 1920-Coach Dr. D.A. Penick

Granger and Drumwright won the doubles in the Southern Inter-collegiate tournament  and Granger won the singles championship. 

1922-Coach Dr. D.A. Penick

Lloyd Gregory is an All American, and he is instrumental in starting the T Association.  

1923 and 1924-Coach Dr. D.A. Penick

Lewis White/Louis Thalheimer National Champions in doubles. Lewis White was inducted into the HOH in 1972. (Looking for better pictures.)

One of the best tennis teams of all time. 

1925

Penick had two National Championship teams. Thalheimer won the national championship in singles and Thalheimer and White won the national championship in doubles.  

1926 Coach Penick

This team continued the streak of never losing both the singles and doubles in any meet. They won every dual meet and the SWC Championship.

1927-Coach Dr. D.A. Penick

Wilmer Allison National Champion and future Head Coach of the UT Men's tennis program. TSHA states "At UT he began an internationally acclaimed career as a tennis player. Under the tutelage of Daniel A. Penick he won the Southwest Conference and National Collegiate Athletic Association championships in 1927."  He was the first player ever to win the national intercollegiate singles  championship in his first year of competition

1928 and 1929-Coach Dr. D.A. Penick

Bell won the SWC championship in singles twice and the national championship in 1929.

Wilmer Allison was the best singles player in the country.  He was the first player ever to win the National Intercollegiate singles in his first year of competition.  He and Mather teamed up in doubles and made it all the way to the championship tournament.

1931- 1932 Coach Dr. D.A. Penick

Bruce Barnes and Karl Kamrath National Champions

Won the SWC with a perfect season at 10-0.  All the finalists in singles and doubles were Longhorns.   Bruce Barnes won his 3rd straight Southwest Conference championship and  Karl Kamrath  and Barnes won the doubles. 

Bruce Barnes -In three years as a Longhorn he never loses a match. He wins the Southwest Conference singles and doubles championships three consecutive years (1929, 1930, 1931). In 1931, he teams with fellow Texan Karl Kamrath to win the national collegiate doubles title and is a singles finalist the same year. 

1933-1934- 1935 Coach Dr. D.A. Penick

1933 tea, was one of Dr. Penick's best teams .  Considered to be the best balanced in Texas net history, but they met their  match in Stanford. 

1935 team did not have individual stars as in the past.  The team won all of  meets thru the season but lost the SWC to Rice.

 1935 team did not have individual stars as in the past.  The team won all of  mets thru the season but lost the SWC to Rice.  Led by Bruce Baxter, Bert Weltens, Smalley, and Pease the team placed 2nd in  the SWC.

1937- 1938-Coach Dr. D.A. Penick

This team returned 8 letterman and received some national attention by defeating Miami University 5 - 4.   Edgar Weller, Warren Christner, Melvin Lapman and Walthall won their singles matches. Lapman was the hero against Miami. 

In SWC play Kamarath and Weller won the SWC.

Edgar Weller and Bob Kamrath are All Americans, and win doubles together at the SWC championship tournament in 1937 and 1938.  In 1938 Bob  Kamrath was ranked #8 in the nation.

The University of Texas broke ground and initiated construction of the Edgar O. and Melanie A. Weller Tennis Center on the grounds of The University of Texas Golf Club. The $8.8 million facility, which features six indoor tennis courts and four outdoor tennis courts, was dedicated and officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 27, 2013.

1939-Coach Dr. D.A. Penick Pending

1940-Coach Dr. D.A. Penick Pending

Coach Penick is finally acknowledge as the official UT Tennis Coach.

1941-Coach Dr. D.A. Penick

1942-Coach Dr. D.A. Penick 7-2

The singles championship was a match between two Longhorns with John Hickman defeating Walter Driver for the SWC Championship. The Longhorns lost the doubles match to Rice. 

Captain  Bill Blalock

1943-Coach Dr. D.A. Penick

John Hickman and Walter Driver National Champions

1944- Coach Penick Pending

John Hickman was the 3rd individual to win the SWC three years in a row. 

1945- Coach Penick Pending  SWC champions

Team wins doubles in SWC championship .  Texas record in match play in the SWC was 37-2.

1946  Coach Penick

The first year that the  NCAA recognizes a team champion with a postseason poll.

Jack Blanton led the team to a SWC championship. Won the 1945 doubles crown in the SWC with Franklin McCarter.  In later years he was selected to the UT Board of Regents. 

Team is ranked 4th nationally

1947   Coach Penick

Mabry is the 1946 SWC singles and double champion, and a member of the Tennis Hall of Fame. Coach Trinity for 19 seasons.

Team is ranked 8th in the nation but Rice wins the SWC.   Mabry, Kelley, Braswell, and Goldfarb were invited to the NCAA tennis tournament.  Kelley and Mabry advanced to the quarter finals before losing to UCLA.  Mabry made it to the round of 16 in singles.  

1948- 34-2  Coach Penick pendng

Southwest Conference begins round-robin play.

SWC Champions

1949- 32-4 Coach Penick pendng

SWC Champions-  Kelley and Goldfarb take the SWC doubles championship

Team is ranked 7th 

1950- 25-5 Coach Penick pendng

Julian Oats wins the double  conference championship twice and in his last year at Texas also manages to be the the medalist in golf for the SWC.

1951- 25-5  Coach Penick pendng

Team is ranked 5th nationally - 

SWC Champions- Harris and Oates win the doubles SWC 

1952- 27-3 Coach Penick pendng

Team is ranked 4th  Nationally . It is the 5th consecutive year the Longhorns are the SWC Champs.  Julian Oates and Bill Harris  win the doubles in the SWC. 

SWC Champions

1953- 28-2 Coach Penick pendng

Team is ranked 5th nationally - There is no NCAA national tournament.

1954- Coach Penick pending

Team is ranked 7th  nationally

1955- 30-0 Coach Penick pending

- 8th straight year to win the SWC.  Sammy Giammalva only was defeated one time .  Giammalva and Johnny Hernandez were only beaten one time in doubles play. Tommy Springer almost beat Giammalva for the individual honors in the SWC tournament . 

Team is ranked 2nd nationally 

SWC Champions

1956- 28-2 Coach Penick pendng

SWC Champions-

It took David Snyder and Sammy Giammalva 3 hours to defeat SMU for the doubles championship in the SWC.  Giammalva won the singles SWC championship convincingly.

1957-1973 -  COACH WILMER ALLISON

THE TSHA STATES  Wilmer Allison" After his discharge(from the War)  he returned to the university in 1947 and served as Penick's assistant until 1957. That year he became the head tennis coach at the university, where he served until his retirement in 1972. He instituted a policy restricting athletic scholarships for tennis to players from Texas. 

• He was the 1927 Southwest Conference singles champion and the national collegiate singles champion.

• As Coach he developed 4 SWC team champions and 4 runners-up.

• Coached players to three single titles and one doubles title.

• In honor of Allison, the "Penick Courts" at the University of Texas were renamed the "Penick-Allison Courts" in 1977.

• He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and the Longhorn Hall of Honor.

• In 1963 he entered the national and international halls of fame.

In  Jack Kramer's autobiography he says that Wilmer Allison had the best forehand volley I ever saw. 

1957  29-1  Coach Wilmer Allison pending

. 

SWC Champions

Team is ranked 3rd  in the nation - 

Sammy Giammalva is a ITA All American and a Davis Cup participant. 

Team is ranked 3rd - 

1958 24-12 Coach Wilmer Allison pending

Sammy Giammalva struggles but recovers and the team wins the SWC championship and wins the singles and doubles championship. 

1959 28-8  Coach Wilmer Allison Pending

Richard Keeton was the number 1 man on the team . Team placed 2nd in the SWC with runner up positions in singles and doubles.

1960 30-6  Coach Wilmer Allison Pending

Texas finished 2nd in the SWC losing 4 matches to SMU and 2 to Rice. 

Team is ranked 4th- There is still no  NCAA tournament to determine a national champion

TOPPING THE CHARTS IN 1960

1961  33-3  Coach Wilmer Allison SWC champs

This was an outstanding team with great Leadership from  White and Neil Unterseher.  The Longhorns dominated the SWC members beating Rice 5-1, A & M 6-0, Texas Tech 6-0, and SMU 5-1.

SWC Champions

Team is ranked 13th nationally - no NCAA tournament

John White is an ITA All American

1962 27-9   Coach Wilmer Allison Pending

Team is ranked 13th nationally and 2nd in the  SWC. Team was led by Mac White and Neil Unterseher

1963 32-4   Coach Wilmer Allison 32-4  SWC Champs

Season started awful with losses to Pan American, Trinity, St. Edward, and the University of Corpus christi. Team finally got on track against SWC foes and barely won the championship over Rice. 

Team is ranked 24th nationally

1964 26-10  Coach Wilmer Allison pending

Strayhorn, Walters, Kamrath, Lutz, And Wickett photo is above

Team is ranked 8th nationally

TOP OF THE CHART 1964

1965  24-12 Coach Wilmer Allison pending

David Nelson - a sophomore- shines this season.  Team finishes second in conference play with Bill Driscoll and Leo Laborde having a 4-2 single conference record.   In 5 years as Tennis Coach, Wilmer Allison has a 142-38 conference record and two SWC championships.   

1966- 24-12 Coach Wilmer Allison pending

Longhorns finished 3rd in the conference. 

Team is ranked 20th nationally - no NCAA tournament

TOPPING THE CHARTS 1966

1967- 28-8  Coach Wilmer SWC champions

Beat Baylor by one point to win the SWC championship. 

SWC Champions

Team is ranked 24th nationally

1968- 17-19  Coach Wilmer Allison - A rebuilding year 4th in SWC

Team is ranked 32nd

Topping the Charts

1969- 24-10 Coach Wilmer Allison-Pending

Team is ranked 13th nationally

1970- 20-16  Coach Wilmer Allison  Pending

Team is ranked 18th 

1971- 27-15  Coach Wilmer Allison 3rd in SWC

This year was feast or famine.  There were no senior starters. The only lost one game in winning against 4 SWC opponents, but lost all games against two SWC opponents. 

Team is ranked 36th

1972- 29-13  Coach Wilmer Allison  3rd in Conference

Longhorns lost both the singles and doubles matches at the SWC meet.

Team is ranked 18th 

1973- 33-16  Coach Wilmer Allison Pending

Team is ranked 11th 

Coach Snyder said in 2012 that “When I came to UT, I knew we were going to change the culture of this team. Nobody was going to work harder than we were."

Coach Snyder

• Member of the SWC championship teams from 1954-1956

• Team captain and SWC doubles champion in 1956

•  1985 Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Association National Coach of the Year

•  Member of Texas Tennis Hall of Fame

• Most victories of  active NCAA Division I men's tennis coach's and ranked No. 2 on the all-time list with 697 career wins.

• HOH  inductee 1988

1973 Coach Dave Snyder Pending

Horns have  a 7-1 record in dual meets but the winner of the SWC is the team that wins the most individual matches.  Texas is 3rd in the SWC even though the Horns beat the winner of the SWC in a dual meet 4-3. The Houston Cougars join the SWC.  Dan Nelson is  the most valuable player for the Longhorns.

Team is ranked 11th nationally

1974 31-18   Coach Dave Snyder Pending

Daniel  Nelson is  All SWC and ranked 10th nationally.  Team finishes 3rd in the SWC

Team is ranked 13th nationally

1975 50-13    Coach Dave Snyder  Pending

Close but no cigar.  Horns played their toughest schedule in a long time- USC , Alabama, Miami, and Trinity.  The Horns  started the season 25-1 with Trinity the only team that dominated them.  Unfortunately, in SWC play they finished 2nd by one point to SMU.

Team is ranked 11th 

1976 57-15   Coach Dave Snyder  Pending

Lost the SWC by three points .  The first SWC title meet to determine the SWC Championship was held in Waco.  The team upset Pepperdine this year. 

Team is ranked 11th Nationally 

1977 25-7     Coach Dave Snyder  Pending

Tennis court was renamed the Penick-Allison courts. Team wins the SWC for the first time in 10 years.

The NCAA authorizes a single elimination tournament for the top 16 teams to determine a National Champion. 

SWC Champions

Steve Denton is an ITA All American in 1978 and a 1990 inductee into the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame.  He holds the Guinness Book of Records with a 139 MPH serve. Reached the round of 8 in the NCAA championship tournament. Ended his career with a 88-22 singles record at Texas

Gary Plock is an ITA All American in 1977 and 1978

1978    Coach Dave Snyder Pending

1979 17-8    Coach Dave Snyder Pending

Team makes the round of 16  in postseason.  

SWC Champions

Kevin Curren - National Champion and All American in 1977, 1978, and 1979. 

1980 16-8   Coach Dave Snyder Pending

Team was inexperienced with 5 freshman, 3 sophomores, and 1 junior.

Team is not ranked

1981 13-8    Coach Dave Snyder Pending

Team is ranked 17th - 

ITA national ranking system begins. 

Since 1981 Texas has been ranked in the top 20  -13 times 

1982 17-8   Coach Dave Snyder Pending

The Tennis team got off to a good start beating Miami, Stanford, and Harvard with Doug Crawford, Jonny Levine, and To Fontana leading the way.  

Team is ranked 13th

1983 16-11   Coach Dave Snyder Pending

Texas makes the round of 16  in postseason and is ranked 11th.  

Jonny Levine is an ITA All American in 1983 and 1984 and finishes 2nd in the nation in singles.

1984 20-5   Coach Dave Snyder Pending

Horn upset SMU and Trinity.  Team was ranked #12 in the nation. Jonny Levine was #3 in singles nationally and winner of the gold at the Pan - American games. On the team Fontana was ranked second to Levine.  Levine made it to the 3rd round of the U.S. Open before being eliminated by Ivan Lendl.

Team is ranked 11th - makes the round of 16  in postseason.  

1985 26-5   Coach Dave Snyder  Pending

"Perhaps"  the toughest schedule of any Longhorn team with dual meets against #1 UCLA, # 7 Trinity, #9 Clemson,  # 14 Ca;- Irvine. This team made quarter finals in Post season. 

This  Team makes the quarter finals  in postseason.  

1986 18-4   Coach Dave Snyder Pending

Team is ranked 7th - makes the quarter finals in postseason.  

Charles Beckman is an ITA All American in 1985, 1986, and 1987. 

Charles Beckman and Royce Deppe  are ranked nationally # 5 in 1984,  # 2 in 1986, and #3 in 1987 in doubles.

1987 16-6   Coach Dave Snyder Pending

Team is ranked 15th - makes the quarterfinals  in postseason.  

1988 19-7   Coach Dave Snyder Pending

Team places 2nd in the SWC  but makes the quarter finals in post season and finishes ranked # 13 in the nation. 

1989-11-12  Coach Dave Snyder Pending 3rd in the SWC

This team has promise but it did not materialize.  Horns started Conference play with a 5 - 8 record.  

1990 22-2  Coach Dave Snyder  Pending

Steve Bryan , Michael Penman ,and Mitch Michulka lead men’s tennis to the top of the SWC.

SWC Tournament Champions

Team is ranked 7th nationally and makes the quarter finals in postseason.  

TOP SONG

Coach Snyder wins the 1990 World Tennis Coach of the Year award.

Mitch Michulka and Michael Penman are 2nd in the nation in doubles.

Steve Bryan National Champion

Steve Bryan wins the National Championship, and is an All American in 1989 and 1990. His career winning percentage is the highest winning percentage in the history of Texas Tennis at .822. 

Steve is the 4th Longhorn to win a NCAA singles championship and he is inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Men's Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007. He holds the school record for combined season victories with 70.

1991 14-7   Coach Dave Snyder

Horns play 10 top tennis teams this year. Several setbacks plaque the team but they still qualify for the NCAA tournament.

Team is ranked 21st  nationally

1992 14-10  Coach Dave Snyder team Finished 19th at Nationals

Men’s tennis team finishes second to TCU in the SWC tournament. The Horns beat New Mexico but lose to USC in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament. Ander Eriksson and Trey Phillips are the only two Horns that have a nationally rating.

Team is ranked 19th - makes the quarter finals   in postseason.  

1993 21-5    Coach Dave Snyder Pending #14 nationally and SWC Champs.

Eriksson, Phillips , Williams, and Draper are all nationally ranked. In doubles Eriksson and Phillips are ranked 9th nationally.

SWC Regular season and tournament Champions

Semi-finals- Best ranking during Coach Snyder tenure @ #5

1994 20-5  Coach Dave Snyder  Pending

Chad Clark, David Draper and Trey Phillips returned from a team that place 3rd nationally the year before. Chad finished with a 97-30 record and was an All American. Horns placed 2nd in the SWC.

SWC co-Regular season Champions

Team is ranked 7th - makes the quarter finals in postseason.  

Quarterfinals

Chad Clark  is one of only 3 Longhorns to  finish in the top 10 in singles and doubles.  He is the only Longhorn to complete this feat twice. He finishes 8th in the Nation in 1994. 

Chad Clark and Trey Phillips are ranked #4 in the nation in 1995 and 6th in 1994 in doubles.

1995 19-5   Coach Dave Snyder Pending

SWC Regular season Champions

Team is ranked 9th - makes the round of 16  in postseason.  

1996 19-7   Coach Dave Snyder Pending

Team is ranked 13th - makes the round of 16  in postseason.  

1997 26-6   Coach Dave Snyder Pending

Big 12 regular season and Big 12 tournament Champions

Team is ranked 10th - makes the quarter finals in postseason.  

1998 24-5  Coach Dave Snyder  Pending

Big 12 regular season champions

Team is ranked 5th - makes the round of 16  in postseason.  

1999 25-5  Coach Dave Snyder Pending

Big 12 regular season and Big 12 tournament Champions

The NCAA tournament is expanded from 16 teams to 64-teams. 

Team is ranked 9th - makes the round of 16  in postseason.  

2000 20-7 Coach Dave Snyder Pending

Team is ranked 16th - makes the round of 16  in postseason.  

Michael Blue and Nick Crowell are ranked 10th nationally in doubles.

Coach Michael Center 2001 to present

Record at Texas thru 2015 is 305-109 in 15 years

• 2007 U.S. Professional Tennis Association National College Coach of the Year

• Big 12 Coach of the Year 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014

• 305-109 record

• Region V Coach of the Year- 1994 and 1995

• Final 4 appearances three times

• 2006 highest ranking as Number 3

• 4th Tennis Coach in the history of Tennis at Texas

• 12- Round of 16 appearances

• 4- Conference Championships

• 2- Tournament titles

• 15 All Americans

• 4 Big 12 Conference Players of the Year

• 67All-Big 12 singles and double selections

• 54Academic Big 12 selections

2001 - 18-6  Coach Michael Center 

Team is ranked 23rd - makes the second round  in postseason.  

2002   23-4  Coach Michael Center Pending

Team is ranked 15th - makes the round of 16  in postseason.  

Jose Zarhi and Rodrigo Echagaray finish 6th nationally in doubles 

2003  19-7    Coach Michael Center Pending

Team is ranked 13th - makes the round of 16  in postseason and the 12 consecutive NCAA appearance.  

Jean Simon and Jose Zarhi win the Big 12 doubles championship

2004  15-12   Coach Michael Center pending

Antonio Ruiz and Jose Zarhi with the Big 12 double championship

Team is ranked 36th - makes the second round in postseason.  

2005  13-10   Coach Michael Center pending

Team is ranked 28th - makes the second round  in postseason.  

2006  26-4   Coach Michael Center pending

Big 12 Co-regular season and Big 12 tournament Champions

Semi-Finals In Postseason And Highest Ranking (3) In Texas Tennis History. 

University of Texas senior Callum Beale and Travis Helgeson and freshman Miguel Reyes Varela officially earned All-America status from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).

Callum Beale and Miguel Reyes-Varela are ranked 8th nationally in doubles. 

Travis Helgeson is ranked 7th in the nation in singles.

2007  20-9  Coach Michael Center pending

Round of 16

Jon Wiegand receives the Provost Awards for posting a perfect 4.0 GPA during at least one semester in 2007. 

Team is ranked 12th - qualifies for round of 16 in postseason.  

Dimitar Kutrovsky and Josh Zavala are the Big 12 doubles champions

2008  25-6   Coach Michael Center

Big 12 co-regular season champions

Runner Up To Georgia For NCAA- Highest finish ever in a NCAA National Championship tournament.

Ricardo is 2008 ITA National Assistant Coach of the Year and he is three-time ITA South Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year (2002, 2006, 2008)

Kellen Damico and Ed Corrie 2008 ITA All-American (doubles)

2009  23-7  Coach Michael Center

Team is ranked 9thmakes the final 4 for the 3rd time in Longhorn Tennis history.

Dimitar Kutrvsky becomes Texas all-time winningest player with 230 victories. He is one of only three Longhorns to finish in the top 10 in singles and doubles. He is ranked 8th Nationally in 2010.

2010   27-3  Coach Michael Center

Big 12 regular season and Big 12 tournament Champions

Team is ranked 4th - makes the round of 16  in postseason.  

Dimitar Kutrovsky and Josh Zavala are ranked 7th in doubles in 2010.

2011   19-9   Coach Michael Center 

Team is ranked 16th - loses in the second round of postseason.  

Ed Corrie and Jean anderson are ranked 8th nationally in doubles.

Team is ranked 16th - loses in the second round of postseason.  

2012 16-10 Coach Michael Center 

Ranked 27th - loses in the first round of postseasons 

2013  17-9 Coach Michael Center

Team makes 2nd round of postseason and is ranked 23rd. 

Chris Camillone, David Holiner, and

Seren Hess-Olesen make the All American team.

2013 17- 9 Coach Michael Center

Team reaches the quarter final round for the NCAA matches. 

Ranked #23 nationally

2014  23-6 Coach Michael Center

Big 12 co-regular season Champions

Team is ranked 8th 

For the first time in program history, Texas Men's Tennis advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships .

Tennis Courts are demolished 

Seren Hess-Olesen wins the Big 12 singles championship

2015  21-7 Coach Michael Center

Team is ranked 9th and makes the round of 16

Søren Hess-Olesen is one of six players in the nation to finish top-15 in both the singles  and doubles  polls. He is the 6th Longhorn to finish in the top 10 in singles . He is the ITA Senior Player of the Year and ranked 6th in the nation in 2015.

Loyd Glasspool is a ITA All American in singles and doubles

Søren Hess-Olesen and Loyd Glasspool NCAA double champions.