IRVINE, Calif. - Luis Humberto Lopez, who is entering his third year on the UC Irvine men's tennis staff, has been elevated to associate head coach.
 
"We are very fortunate to have Luis on our staff," UCI head coach Mike Saunders said. "I've enjoyed our collaboration and he inspires me everyday. He is dedicated, passionate and his tennis IQ is extremely high. He is the caliber of coach who wins matches with his insight, confidence and positivity. He is a person of high integrity and a selfless, caring leader."
 
Lopez joined the staff as an assistant coach in 2022-23 and made an immediate impact, leading the Anteaters to a share of their first Big West regular-season title since 2015. They went 5-1 in conference to finish in a three-way tie for first. As the No. 2 seed at the Big West Championship, UCI defeated third-seeded UC Davis in the semifinals to advance to the title match for the second year in a row.
 
This past season, Lopez was instrumental in UC Irvine's Big West Championship run. As the No. 2 seed, the 'Eaters earned a bye into the semifinals where they took down No. 3 Cal Poly, 4-1. They carried that momentum into the championship match where they upended top-seeded and 45th-ranked UC Santa Barbara, 4-1. The Anteaters went on to make their 13th NCAA Division I Championship appearance. They closed out the campaign with a 17-7 overall record and were 69th in the final ITA Rankings.
 
In Lopez's two seasons on staff, UCI is 30-15 (10-2 Big West) in dual matches. During that stretch, eight 'Eaters have combined for 13 All-Big West honors, while they also boasted the 2024 Big West Freshman of the Year.
 
Lopez is a UC Irvine alum, playing three seasons for the Anteaters and graduating with a bachelor's degree in political science and a minor in management in 2019. He was a six-time All-Big West selection, receiving the distinction in both singles and doubles each year. Lopez transferred to UCI after spending his freshman campaign at Utah State where he helped the Aggies to their first-ever Mountain West Conference regular-season title. He registered 21 overall singles wins with 15 coming in dual-match play.
 
Following graduation, Lopez played professionally, earning career-high ATP rankings of 1261 in singles and 1611 in doubles. He also earned his master's degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the University of Nottingham. While attending graduate school, Lopez competed on the tennis team, playing at No. 3 singles and No. 1 doubles in the top division in the United Kingdom.
 
Lopez has continued to play in local tournaments, most recently winning the 2024 USTA National Open Hard Court Singles Championship in San Diego.