University of Tennessee Athletics
Chris Mahony Named Head Tennis Coach
July 13, 2005 | Men's Tennis
July 13, 2005
Chris Mahony (pronounced MAH-nee) was named head tennis coach at the University of Tennessee Wednesday. Mahony had been serving as acting head coach since November.
"Chris should have great success in his new role," Athletic Director Mike Hamilton said. "As a former All-America player and academic All-America, he understands what it takes to succeed on and off the court in collegiate tennis. He did a fantastic job with this year's team in an interim capacity. He understands what is necessary from all perspectives to win in the nation's most competitive tennis conference."
Mahony, in his role as acting head coach, led to the Vols to the SEC Championship finals this past season. The Vols won three matches in three days to advance to the finals before dropping the championship match to Florida.
The Vols' fine tournament play led to them hosting a NCAA Regional. Tennessee swept past East Tennessee State and Ohio State to advance to the Sweet 16. The Vols lost in the opening round of the NCAA Championships to eventual national champion UCLA.
Tennessee ended the season with a 16-9 record. The Vols earned a final national ranking of No. 11 which helped Tennessee place eighth the Sports Academy Directors Cup.
"It is a great honor to be named head coach at the University of Tennessee," Mahony said. "It is an outstanding educational institution and its tennis program is rich in tradition and quality. Having been involved with UT tennis for 12 years now, I look forward to continuing and building upon the success and integrity of the program. I am excited about this opportunity and the upcoming season, and I am thankful to Mike Hamilton for his show of confidence in me."
Mahony served for five years on the Tennessee coaching staff prior to becoming acting head coach. He was a staff member on Tennessee's 2002 SEC Tournament Championship team and 2000 SEC regular season championship team. The Vols advanced to the finals of the NCAA Championships once and the semifinals twice during that period.
Mahony played at Tennessee from 1993-96 winning 90 career single matches and the 1996 Rolex National Indoor Doubles championship. He was a both a two-time All-America and Academic All-America during his playing career.
He is married to the former Crystal Cleveland.
