Oct. 13, 2009

EDINBURG, TX--University of Texas - Pan American Director of Athletics Chris King announced on Tuesday (Oct. 13) that Chris Taylor has been named head men's and women's tennis coach. Taylor's appointment concludes a national search for the position.

Taylor comes to UTPA after a successful career as the head men's and women's tennis coach at California Baptist University. Cal Baptist made the announcement this past June to end both the men and women's tennis programs despite the success of the tennis program where the men finished the season ranked fourth in the nation (NAIA) and the women's team earning a berth to the NAIA tournament.

"I look forward to leading the UTPA men & women's tennis program. I want to thank Chris King and Ricky Vaughn for providing me this opportunity," said Taylor. "My goal is to come in and develop UTPA tennis into a consistent, nationally ranked program that can compete for titles in the Southland conference (men) and the Great West conference (women) and to continue to excel in the classroom. My wife, Mandy and I, are excited to move to the Valley and become part of the Bronc family."

"I am very excited about Chris becoming part of the UTPA family and joining a talented group of head coaches at UTPA. Chris was highly recommended to me by several reputable coaches in collegiate tennis. I am very impressed with his ability to turn a program around as he did at California Baptist, where this past season their men's program finished fourth in the nation. I would be remiss if I didn't thank Ricky Vaughn for his leadership during this search. His leg work and research was an important part in the gathering of information towards the talent pool for this position," said King.

"I am pleased with the hiring of Chris Taylor. After a long search, he was the coach that stood out as the one that could take us to the next level. Not only does Chris have head coaching experience but he also has the ability to win at high levels. We appreciate the patience our student-athletes have shown in the hiring process. We wanted to make sure we had the right person for the job," said assistant athletic director Ricky Vaughn.

In the 2008-09 season under the direction of Taylor, the Lancers were ranked fifth pre-season, and during the season the men's program reached as high as the number two team in the nation and ended the season ranked fourth. The men earned a bid to the NAIA tournament advancing to the semi-finals. The women also advanced to the NAIA tournament with a first-round bye, but suffered a loss in the second round ending their season.

During the 2007-08 season, Taylor took the Lancer tennis program to new heights. Both teams were ranked inside the NAIA's Top 10 and both teams advanced to the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Championships for the first time ever. The Lancer men finished the season ranked No. 5, won a program-record 16 matches and had three players named NAIA All-American. The Lancer women also won a program-record 14 matches, were ranked No. 6 and had two players named NAIA All-American.

In 2006-07, Taylor assumed the head coaching duties for the men's and women's program. The men's program resumed its status as a varsity program in the 2007 season after being dropped at the conclusion of the 1999 campaign. The Lancer men finished 5-15 overall, 2-6 GSAC. Along the way, the Lancers were ranked as high as No. 21. Taylor also guided the Lancer women to their first-ever winning season as the Lancers finished 12-10 overall, 4-5 in the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSA). The Lancers ended the season ranked No. 17 in the NAIA, their highest ranking ever, missing out on an NAIA Tournament berth by one spot.

Taylor is certified by the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) and spent two seasons (2005-06) as an assistant coach at GSAC-rival and NAIA-power Vanguard. While there, he helped the Lions make a pair of NAIA National Tournament appearances on both the men's and women's side. In 2006, the Vanguard men reached the quarterfinals before losing to eventual national champion Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.), while the women also advanced to the quarterfinals. In 2005, his first as an assistant at Vanguard, the NAIA's No. 2-ranked Lion women won the GSAC title and reached the semifinals.

A native of Garland, Texas, Taylor transferred to Vanguard in 2002 and played three seasons for the Lions. He finished his playing career in 2004 and made a pair of NAIA National Tournament appearances, including an NAIA semifinal appearance as a 2004 senior with the No. 3-ranked Lions. During his three seasons at Vanguard, Taylor won a total of 24 singles matches and 18 doubles matches. Taylor graduated from Vanguard in 2004 with a degree in religion.

Taylor is married to the former Mandy Witherspoon.