IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine has named Mike Saunders as men's tennis head coach, a position he held as interim this past season.
Saunders led UCI to a winning season in 2016 with a 17-9 overall record, including a streak of seven consecutive victories in March. The team won 11 of its last 15 matches.
Seven of his Anteater student-athletes received All-Big West Conference honors and three players excelled in the classroom, earning UCI Dean's List recognition.
Saunders is a UCI alum who was a nationally-ranked junior, Intermountain sectional singles and doubles champion and Utah state high school 4-A singles champion.
As an Anteater student-athlete, Saunders won two Big West singles titles and served as team captain under coach Greg Patton his junior and senior season, when the team was ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation.
Saunders was also a Big West Scholar-Athlete and recipient of UCI's Student-Athlete Challenge Award, which recognizes the university's most improved student-athlete. He also was voted Most Inspirational and Most Improved player by his teammates and coaches.
Upon his graduation, Saunders played professionally in satellite and challenger events around the world. He later coached former UCI player and coach, Trevor Kronemann, and his doubles partner David Macpherson, who had a ranking as high as 11th on the ATP tour. More recently, Saunders has coached WTA player Maria Elena Camerin and some of the nation's top college and junior players.
Saunders currently resides in Laguna Beach with his wife Amanda, daughter Stella, and son Owen.
_________________________________________________________________
For UC Irvine Athletics ticket information, please call (949) 824-5000 or e-mail athletics.tickets@uci.edu. For more information click here.
For information on how you can help support UC Irvine Athletics, please call (949) 824-6933 or e-mail aaf@uci.edu. For additional information, click here.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and by downloading the UCI Front Row app, available free to all Anteater fans through iTunes and Google Play, to view schedules, results, and up-to-the-minute news.
