Intercollegiate Tennis Association

Succession Success: Nadia Abdala, Head Women’s Tennis Coach, University of San Diego

Nadia Abdala was named the head women’s tennis coach at the University of San Diego (USD) after serving 8 years as the assistant coach. She has made an immediate impact as the head coach helping the team jump to another level of competitiveness amongst the best teams in the nation.

 

In this podcast Nadia discusses how she managed her relationships with her players during the transition from assistant coach to head coach, her passion to help women in coaching, and her new favorite drill.

Special Episode: Ask Me Anything with ITA COO Dave Mullins

Dave Mullins is the current Chief Operating Officer with the ITA and has served in this role since 2019. Before joining the ITA, Dave spent 12 years as a coach in college tennis, last serving as the head women's tennis coach at the University of Oklahoma. Dave also spent time in college tennis as a player, competing for Fresno State where he would earn All-American honors.

In this podcast, Dave & Lauren Conching discuss the questions coaches submitted, covering everything from WTN to managing dual matches to rules’ questions with Anthony. If you enjoy this unique podcast, let us know so we can do more!

Finishing Strong by Committing to the Process - Andres Pedroso

Andres Pedroso is in his second stint with the University of Virginia after serving as the Associate Head Men’s coach from 2010 – 2014. He was named the Head Men’s Coach in 2017 and in his short career as a head coach, he has won back-to-back NCAA National Team Championships in 2022 and 2023. He is a three-time ACC Coach of the Year, three-time ITA Atlantic Region Head Coach of the Year, and was twice named the ITA National Coach of the Year

 

In this podcast, Dave inquires about Andre’s fascinating background having worked on Wall Street and flirting with a career as a sports agent. They also discuss the importance of scheduling, recruiting the right fit and how Andres deals with the pressures of being a top DI coach.

Serving More Than Yourself - Dan Oosterhous

Dan Oosterhous was named the Athletic Director for Recruiting at the Air Force Academy this past summer after 14 years as the head men’s tennis coach. Dan achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force after serving in multiple combat-support overseas deployments. In 2013 he suffered two brain stem strokes but recovered to compete as a member of the 2014 and 2016 USA Invictus Games team and continue his coaching career.

 

Dan has served his country, the Air Force Academy, and college tennis with great distinction, and in this podcast we learn more about Dan’s new role, his views on the current and future state of NCAA Olympic sports, what lessons coaches can apply from the US military and some recruiting insights.

Nutrition for College Coaches & More - Tara Collingwood

Tara Collingwood is a renowned Sports Dietician, author and TV personality. She has served as the Dietician for the Orlando Magic, UCF Athletics, the WWE and the USTA. She is a performance coach at the prestigious Johnson & Johnson Performance Institute where she teaches executives how to manage their energy. In this podcast she discusses how coaches can improve their own energy levels, stay healthy throughout the long dual match season, how to speak with athletes about their dietary habits and much much more.

Roots & Wings - John Shackelford

John Shackelford served 33 seasons as the head men’s tennis coach and three seasons as Director of Tennis at the University of the South - Sewanee. During his tenure, he won 551 matches and 12 conference titles. In 2021 he was named as the Director of Athletics and continues to serve the Sewanee community, coaches and student-athletes.

 

In this podcast, John and Dave discuss John’s commitment to one University over 38 years, how John found ways to develop as a coach, the challenges of sustaining success over a long period of time and advice for coaches with families.

Faith & Heart - Mark Booras, Tulane University

Mark Booras, the head men’s tennis coach at Tulane University for the past 14 seasons, received some devastating personal health news during the 2023 spring season taking him away from his team, his family, and everything else in his life for several months.

In this podcast, we discuss Mark’s journey over the last several months, his recovery from a heart transplant to date, and his hopes for the future. Mark also shares some advice on the necessary skills the current college tennis coach needs to acquire to excel in this profession, the importance of patience, and some lessons he learned from coaching some of college tennis's finest players.

One Program/Three Divisions/44 Years - Liz LaPlante

In this podcast, Liz and Dave talk about the lessons Liz has learned over her four decades coaching college tennis; the differences between coaching at each of the three NCAA divisions; advice for young women interested in becoming a college tennis coach; and how she balanced the demands of coaching and raising a family.

Maximizing Tennis Tech - Geoff Russell

Geoff Russell worked for the USTA Player Development department for 13 years. During his time at USTA PD he worked with many of the top players and coaches in the world. Geoff is a leader in sports performance and data analysis. He leverages innovative solutions in optical data, visions, and wearable technologies to provide objective, measurable, feedback around development areas of focus. He is now working as a consultant for a number of college tennis teams, helping them to maximize their use of technology as it applies to player development and recruitment.

 

In this podcast, Geoff discusses how coaches can implement some level of technology into their coaching modalities; what mistakes he has seen coaches make when trying to help their players reach their full potential; some themes he sees emerging after watching hundreds of hours of college tennis over the last several months and lots of other helpful insights for coaches.

HOF Level Coaching - Peter Smith

Peter Smith was inducted into the ITA Men’s Hall of Fame this past May. Some of his career highlights include a 639-232 overall record; 5 NCAA Team Championships during his tenure at USC; a two-time ITA DI Coach of the Year recipient while also being the only coach to date to lead four different men’s programs to national top-25 rankings – Long Beach State, Fresno State, Pepperdine, USC.

We cover a lot of ground in this podcast including some wonderful stories from Peter’s tenure as a college coach; the importance of building relationships; recruiting; focusing on the small details; learning from mistakes and more.