Fresno State Athletics
Jay Udwadia Named Men's Tennis Coach
10/25/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Oct. 25, 2004
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State Athletics Director Scott Johnson has announced the hiring of Jay Udwadia as the school's new men's tennis coach. He will begin his duties Monday, Nov. 8.
Udwadia comes to the Bulldogs from Drake, where in just one season he made quite on an impact on the program, leading them to a 17-6 record, including a 7-0 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference and a league championship for the first time in 11 years. Udwadia (pronounced oo-DWAD-ee-uh) was named MVC Coach of the Year for his efforts.
He also recruited the 2004 Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, who also was an all-conference honoree. Udwadia led three other Drake players to all-league honors and had a doubles team reach the finals of the Region V Championships and achieve a No. 47 national ranking.
Under Udwadia, Drake was very successful academically. Three players were honored by the league for their academic achievements.
"In Jay, we are getting one of the top young coaches in college tennis," Johnson said. "He took over a program at Drake that hadn't won a conference championship in over a decade and immediately turned it into a winner. He has recruiting ties in California, around the country and around the world. I think he is a great fit for our athletics department, our university and our community."
Prior to Drake, Udwadia was the assistant coach at Northwestern for four seasons. While there, he helped lead the Wildcats to a fourth place finish in the Big Ten in 2002 along with a No. 45 national ranking. Northwestern participated in the NCAA Tournament all four years under Udwadia.
"To coach at a school like Fresno State is a tremendous opportunity for me," Udwadia said. "I am looking forward to building upon the great tradition of the program and bringing the team to new heights. We will create a strong schedule that will push the team toward improvement and bring excitement to the community. Fresno State's fans are some of the best in the nation, and I can't wait to start a relationship with them and enjoy success for a long time to come."
Before beginning his career as a college tennis coach, Udwadia spent two years on the ATP Tour, holding a world ranking in both singles and doubles. He competed in tournaments run by the French Tennis Federation and in club tennis in Australia.
Udwadia was a four-year letterwinner in the highly-competitive SEC for the University of Arkansas and was his team's captain his senior year. He helped lead the Razorbacks to three NCAA Tournament appearances and a spot in the top 25 of the national rankings.
He graduated from Arkansas in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in sociology.
