| ||||||||||||||
Jay Udwadia is entering his fourth year as Fresno State's men's tennis coach after taking over for the Bulldogs in 2004.
At Fresno State, Udwadia has instilled a work-hard, no excuses attitude that has translated to the tennis courts and to the classroom. The Bulldogs have become a blue-collar tennis team - mentally prepared and physically conditioned for their opponents and the rigors of college life. Udwadia's work ethic and detailed attention to conditioning has been an integral part of his team's success athletically and academically.
In three seasons, Udwadia and the Bulldogs have made tremendous strides. Udwadia led the Bulldogs from a 10-11 record in his first year to back-to-back winning seasons in 2006 and 2007. In the last two years, Udwadia has twice led the Bulldogs to the Western Athletic Conference title match and as high as No. 41 in the national rankings.
Under Udwadia, former Bulldog Jakub Cech was named the WAC Player of the Year, won the prestigious Intercollegiate Tennis Association Northwest Regional and participated in all three major championships of the college tennis season - the NCAA Singles Tournament, the National Indoors and the ITA All-American. Cech had been the first Bulldog to qualify for the NCAA singles tournament since 2001 and he reached a career-high No. 26 in the national rankings at the beginning of the 2007 dual season.
Udwadia has helped five players earn All-WAC in singles and five doubles tandems have become all-conference honorees under his guidance. Udwadia also vaulted three of his players into the regional top-30 rankings last season.
In the Udwadia era, Fresno State has been very tough at home in the Wathen Tennis Center. The Bulldogs are 27-6 on their home courts since 2005, and were an impeccable 10-0 in 2006.
Udwadia has taught the Bulldogs to be disciplined in the classroom as well. Since Udwadia's arrival, the team has achieved higher than a 3.0 grade point average each year. In 2007, the team attained a 3.4 GPA and three of his student-athletes earned a 4.0 for the spring semester.
In 2007, five members of the team earned Academic All-WAC honors, three earned the honor in 2006 and three in 2005. Udwadia's players have earned a number of other academic awards, including the Fresno State Harold Haak Scholarship and academic all-district from ESPN The Magazine.
Fresno State is traditionally one of the top programs in the country and Udwadia has the Bulldogs back where they belong. Last year Udwadia had four freshmen in the starting lineup and the future looks bright as the 'Dogs will go two seasons without losing any seniors to graduation.
Recently, Udwadia became the Chair of the ITA West Region and was named to the NCAA National Operating Committee.
In addition, Udwadia is the coach for the USTA National Team event representing the NorCal Boys 18 section. He has also been instrumental in recruiting top-ranked Californians to Fresno State.
Udwadia came to the Bulldogs from Drake, where he was named MVC Coach of the Year for his efforts. He recruited the 2004 Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, who also was an all-conference honoree. Under Udwadia, Drake was very successful academically as three players were honored by the league for their academic achievements.
Prior to Drake, Udwadia was the assistant coach at Northwestern for four seasons. While there, he helped lead the Wildcats to a fourth place finish in the Big Ten in 2002 along with a No. 45 national ranking. Northwestern participated in the NCAA Tournament in 2000 and `02 under Udwadia.
"To coach at a school like Fresno State is a tremendous opportunity for me," Udwadia said. "I am looking forward to building upon the great tradition of the program and bringing the team to new heights. We will create a strong schedule that will push the team toward improvement and bring excitement to the community. Fresno State's fans are some of the best in the nation, and I can't wait to start a relationship with them and enjoy success for a long time to come."
Before beginning his career as a college tennis coach, Udwadia spent two years on the ATP Tour, holding a world ranking in doubles. He competed in tournaments run by the French Tennis Federation and in club tennis in Australia.
Udwadia was a four-year letterwinner in the highly-competitive SEC for the University of Arkansas and was his team's captain his senior year. He helped lead the Razorbacks to three NCAA Tournament appearances and a spot in the top 25 of the national rankings.
He graduated from Arkansas in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in sociology.
The Udwadia File
Hometown: Williamsville, N.Y.
Education: B.A.: sociology - Arkansas, 1997
| Year | School | W | L | Pct. | Conference | NCAA | 2004 | Drake | 17 | 6 | .739 | Champions | -- | 2005 | Fresno State | 10 | 11 | .476 | Quarterfinalist | -- | 2006 | Fresno State | 15 | 7 | .682 | Finalist | -- | 2007 | Fresno State | 13 | 10 | .565 | Finalist | -- |
Coaching Experience
| Position | School/Organization | Head Coach | Fresno State, 2004-present | Head Coach | Drake, 2004 | Assistant Coach | Northwestern, 1999-03 | Coach/practice partner | U.S. Open, 2000-04 |
Honors/Awards
