EDINBURG, Texas - The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Thursday that Dann Nelson, a two-time Missouri Valley Coach (MVC) of the Year over the last 11 seasons at Southern Illinois University (SIU), is the new men's tennis head coach.
Nelson comes to UTRGV with a career head coaching record of 159-131-1 (.548) in 15 seasons, including two seasons at Western Illinois (2003-05) and two St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) Championship seasons at Westminster (2001-03).
He went 122-110-1 (.526) at SIU, making him the second-winningest coach in program history. Nelson led his team to MVC Championships in 2009 and 2016, including an NCAA Tournament appearance and a career-best 18-7 record in 2009.
“Today is an exciting day for UTRGV Athletics and our men's tennis program,†UTRGV Director of Athletics Chris King said. “Dann Nelson is a tremendous tennis coach and will be a great fit within the culture of our department. His track record for success and Division I head coaching experience make him the ideal head coach to lead the men's tennis program moving forward. He's produced championship-level tennis at Southern Illinois, and will bring that kind of competitiveness to the RGV. We are thrilled to welcome Dann, his wife, Casey, and two daughters, Khana and Nanaiya, to the UTRGV family.â€
During his time at SIU, Nelson mentored 16 All-MVC singles players and three All-MVC doubles teams. His teams also combined to produce 17 MVC Scholar-Athlete Team members.
He developed the No. 28 ranked doubles duo of Sergio Sanchez and Felipe Villasenor in 2006, as well as the No. 41 ranked team of Jonny Rigby and Michal Kianicka this past season. Rigby and Kianicka also won the 2013 MVC No. 1 Doubles Championship. Nelson coached Hugo Vidal (No. 3, 2007), Eric West (No. 3, 2009) and Anton Leonenko (No. 5, 2009) to MVC singles championships as well.
In his first season at SIU, the Salukis finished the fall of 2005 52-13 in singles and 27-8 in doubles, compiling the best team record and conference finish (sixth) since 1999. Nelson led the team to its first winning season in seven years during dual play, going 11-10 while earning the ITA Midwest Section Community Service award for establishing the Saluki Tennis Academy.
The 2009 season ranks among the best in SIU history, as Nelson guided the Salukis to just the third MVC title in school history and the first since 1990, en route to the NCAA Tournament and the MVC Coach of the Year award. Four student-athletes earned All-MVC honors (Vidal, Villasenor, West and Lucas Waked), while West earned MVC Freshman of the Year recognition. Additionally, Vidal and Leonenko earned Academic All-MVC honors.
Nelson earned MVC Co-Coach of the Year honors in 2014 as, after a slow start, the Salukis went 7-1 to close out the regular season. Kianicka and Rigby finished as the only doubles pair to go undefeated in MVC play, earning All-MVC recognition at No. 1 doubles. Rigby and Kianicka also earned All-MVC honors while Kianicka came away with the MVC Freshman of the Year award. He was one of three student-athletes to earn the award under Nelson, along with West and Jorge Cavero (2011).
This past season, Nelson coached his team to a 63-32 (.663) singles record and a 16-5 (.762) doubles record in the fall, including two doubles championships and one singles championship at the Purdue Fall Invitational. Additionally, the duo of Rigby and Kianicka reached the quarterfinals of the ITA Central Regional Tournament. In the spring, Nelson's team went 14-5 (.737) while earning the No. 9 ranking in the central region.
“I am extremely excited to be named the new men's tennis coach for UTRGV,†Nelson said. “I am so very impressed with the vision Chris King and his staff have for the future of UTRGV Athletics. I want to take this opportunity to thank Chris, [Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student Services] Farrah Manthei, [Deputy Director of Athletics/Chief Operating Officer] Vince Volpe and the rest of the search committee for this incredible opportunity. My wife, Casey, and I are thrilled to be a part of the UTRGV family.â€
In the season prior to Nelson's arrival at Western Illinois, the Leathernecks went winless and they had not won a conference dual match in two years. Nelson quickly turned things around, guiding the team to a second-place finish in 2004, its best in eight years, by going 5-1 in Mid-Continent Conference play and 9-4 overall.
From 2001-03, Nelson served as head coach at Westminster College. Nelson earned SLIAC Coach of the Year honors in 2003 after guiding Westminster to a 13-2 record and its second-straight SLIAC Championship. Nelson coached 10 student-athletes to All-SLIAC honors during his two seasons there. In 2002, the team earned the first regional ranking in program history.
From 1997-01, Nelson served as a teaching professional at the Edmond Racquet Club in Edmond, Okla. As the Associate Director of Junior Development, Nelson worked with several nationally-ranked players as well as numerous state champions. Several of Nelson's students went on to play Division I tennis.
Nelson began his coaching career in 1997 as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Oklahoma Christian, where he earned All-American honors as a student-athlete. During his playing career, Nelson amassed a 44-5 doubles record spanning the 1995 and 1996 seasons. He also participated in the NAIA Championships in each of those years. During Nelson's senior season, Oklahoma Christian earned the Sooner Athletic Conference title, the Region V team title, and achieved the No. 4 ranking in the nation. He graduated in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in social studies.
Nelson went on to earn his Master of Education from Central Oklahoma in 2001 while working as a volunteer assistant coach.