Fresno State Athletics
Women's Tennis
Mortera, Ric
Ric Mortera
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- rmortera@csufresno.edu
- Instagram:
- @ricmortera
After a successful three-year run with the Texas Tech women’s tennis program, most recently as their associate head coach, Ric Mortera was named the ninth head coach in the history of the Fresno State women’s tennis program on July 27, 2018.
“I’d like to thank Athletic Director Terry Tumey, Assistant Athletic Director David Hall, Senior Woman’s Administrator Carrie Coll and the entire search committee,” Mortera said. “Fresno State is a place that I have admired for a long time. To be given the opportunity to be the next head coach of this team and the responsibility of leading the program into the future is humbling and I could not be more grateful. This is an absolute dream come true and I cannot wait to get started.”
During Mortera’s three seasons with the Lady Raiders, Texas Tech was 73-17, the best three-year winning percentage in program history at 81.1 percent. The Lady Raiders made back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and 2016 which was followed by a run to the Elite Eight in 2017, a first for Texas Tech. For his contributions, Mortera was twice named Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Texas Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2017.
“During his time at Texas Tech, Coach Mortera developed a reputation as a tireless recruiter and great all around coach,” Hall said. “He is a person of high integrity and energy who is dedicated to the student-athlete experience. I am confident that Coach Mortera will build upon the tradition of success we have had in our women's tennis program.”
Mortera’s final season (2016-17) with Texas Tech was the best in the program’s history as the team finished the year ranked No. 7 in the final Oracle/ITA Ranking and produced 27 wins, both program highs. That season, Gabriela Talaba reached the highest final ranking for an individual in Lady Raiders history at No. 8 as she became the program’s first All-American.
Under head coach Todd Petty and Mortera’s guidance, Texas Tech claimed its first Big 12 regular season and tournament championship in its history in 2017. The accomplishments earned the Lady Raiders their highest seed in the NCAA Tournament at No. 6.
During his time, six players captured All-Big 12 singles selections which included three-time honoree Gabriela Talaba (2015, 2016, 2017) and two two-time selections Sarah Dvorak (2015, 2016) and Felicity Maltby (2016, 2017). Dvorak (2015) and Alex Valenstein (2016) also secured the ITA’s Texas Region Rookie of the Year award.
Prior to Texas Tech, Mortera served as an assistant coach at Illinois where the Fighting Illini was 14-10 and held an ITA ranking as high as No. 45 in 2014. Illinois garnered a pair of Top 30 upsets over Big 12 opponents in No. 25 TCU and No. 29 Oklahoma State. Mortera saw four student-athletes honored at the season's end as Emily Barretta and Misia Kedzierski were named Academic All-Big Ten, and Allison Falkin was named All-Big Ten and Louise Kwong was named the recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Mortera spent time as an assistant coach at Purdue during the 2013 season where he helped guide the Boilermakers to an 18-6 record and the NCAA’s Round of 32. The 18 wins were a school record, and it marked the second time in program history that Purdue won a NCAA Tournament match.
The Boilermakers reached a program-best No. 14 in the ITA rankings. Mortera also was instrumental in Purdue's first NCAA Doubles Championship berth since 2000. Krisztina Kapitany and Mara Schmidt became the Boilermakers' fourth doubles tandem to appear in the NCAA Doubles Championships in program history.
Mortera began his collegiate coaching career as a volunteer assistant coach at Illinois in 2011 and 2012. The Illini had five players earn All-Big Ten recognition in addition to six players appear in the ITA singles or doubles rankings during his two-year stint. Illinois was ranked as high as No. 18.
While at Illinois, Mortera also worked on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour where he coached former United States Fed Cup player Alexa Glatch and 2009 Orange Bowl champion Julia Boserup. He helped Glatch reach the U.S. Open and Wimbledon main draws and improved her ranking from No. 302 to No. 139 in the world. He also helped Boserup achieve a career-high ranking of No. 174.
The Portland, Oregon native was a four-year letterwinner at Oregon, where he reached No. 45 in the ITA rankings during his senior year. He graduated from UO in 2010 with degrees in both economics and political science. Mortera spent the last year working with the Red Raider Club and is expected to earn his master’s degree in sports management from Texas Tech in August.
On the junior’s circuit, Mortera was consistently ranked in the top 20 nationally. He vaulted up to No. 6 and was the top-ranked player from the Pacific Northwest. A native of Portland, Mortera was a four-time Oregon All-State selection at Jesuit High School and earned All-America honors in 2005. He also was ranked the 17th-best high school recruit by TennisRecruiting.com in the spring of 2005.
The Mortera File
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Alma Mater (Year): Oregon (2010)
Mortera’s Coaching Awards
2016 Wilson/ITA Texas Region Assistant Coach of the Year
2017 Wilson/ITA Texas Region Assistant Coach of the Year
Mortera’s Year-by-Year Record as an Assistant Coach
Season, Overall Record, NCAA Tournament, School
2013, 18-6, NCAA Second Round, Purdue
2014, 14-10, Illinois
2015, 21-7, NCAA Sweet 16, Texas Tech
2016, 25-6, NCAA Sweet 16, Texas Tech
2017, 27-5, NCAA Elite Eight, Texas Tech
“I’d like to thank Athletic Director Terry Tumey, Assistant Athletic Director David Hall, Senior Woman’s Administrator Carrie Coll and the entire search committee,” Mortera said. “Fresno State is a place that I have admired for a long time. To be given the opportunity to be the next head coach of this team and the responsibility of leading the program into the future is humbling and I could not be more grateful. This is an absolute dream come true and I cannot wait to get started.”
During Mortera’s three seasons with the Lady Raiders, Texas Tech was 73-17, the best three-year winning percentage in program history at 81.1 percent. The Lady Raiders made back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2015 and 2016 which was followed by a run to the Elite Eight in 2017, a first for Texas Tech. For his contributions, Mortera was twice named Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Texas Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2017.
“During his time at Texas Tech, Coach Mortera developed a reputation as a tireless recruiter and great all around coach,” Hall said. “He is a person of high integrity and energy who is dedicated to the student-athlete experience. I am confident that Coach Mortera will build upon the tradition of success we have had in our women's tennis program.”
Mortera’s final season (2016-17) with Texas Tech was the best in the program’s history as the team finished the year ranked No. 7 in the final Oracle/ITA Ranking and produced 27 wins, both program highs. That season, Gabriela Talaba reached the highest final ranking for an individual in Lady Raiders history at No. 8 as she became the program’s first All-American.
Under head coach Todd Petty and Mortera’s guidance, Texas Tech claimed its first Big 12 regular season and tournament championship in its history in 2017. The accomplishments earned the Lady Raiders their highest seed in the NCAA Tournament at No. 6.
During his time, six players captured All-Big 12 singles selections which included three-time honoree Gabriela Talaba (2015, 2016, 2017) and two two-time selections Sarah Dvorak (2015, 2016) and Felicity Maltby (2016, 2017). Dvorak (2015) and Alex Valenstein (2016) also secured the ITA’s Texas Region Rookie of the Year award.
Prior to Texas Tech, Mortera served as an assistant coach at Illinois where the Fighting Illini was 14-10 and held an ITA ranking as high as No. 45 in 2014. Illinois garnered a pair of Top 30 upsets over Big 12 opponents in No. 25 TCU and No. 29 Oklahoma State. Mortera saw four student-athletes honored at the season's end as Emily Barretta and Misia Kedzierski were named Academic All-Big Ten, and Allison Falkin was named All-Big Ten and Louise Kwong was named the recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Mortera spent time as an assistant coach at Purdue during the 2013 season where he helped guide the Boilermakers to an 18-6 record and the NCAA’s Round of 32. The 18 wins were a school record, and it marked the second time in program history that Purdue won a NCAA Tournament match.
The Boilermakers reached a program-best No. 14 in the ITA rankings. Mortera also was instrumental in Purdue's first NCAA Doubles Championship berth since 2000. Krisztina Kapitany and Mara Schmidt became the Boilermakers' fourth doubles tandem to appear in the NCAA Doubles Championships in program history.
Mortera began his collegiate coaching career as a volunteer assistant coach at Illinois in 2011 and 2012. The Illini had five players earn All-Big Ten recognition in addition to six players appear in the ITA singles or doubles rankings during his two-year stint. Illinois was ranked as high as No. 18.
While at Illinois, Mortera also worked on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour where he coached former United States Fed Cup player Alexa Glatch and 2009 Orange Bowl champion Julia Boserup. He helped Glatch reach the U.S. Open and Wimbledon main draws and improved her ranking from No. 302 to No. 139 in the world. He also helped Boserup achieve a career-high ranking of No. 174.
The Portland, Oregon native was a four-year letterwinner at Oregon, where he reached No. 45 in the ITA rankings during his senior year. He graduated from UO in 2010 with degrees in both economics and political science. Mortera spent the last year working with the Red Raider Club and is expected to earn his master’s degree in sports management from Texas Tech in August.
On the junior’s circuit, Mortera was consistently ranked in the top 20 nationally. He vaulted up to No. 6 and was the top-ranked player from the Pacific Northwest. A native of Portland, Mortera was a four-time Oregon All-State selection at Jesuit High School and earned All-America honors in 2005. He also was ranked the 17th-best high school recruit by TennisRecruiting.com in the spring of 2005.
The Mortera File
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Alma Mater (Year): Oregon (2010)
Mortera’s Coaching Awards
2016 Wilson/ITA Texas Region Assistant Coach of the Year
2017 Wilson/ITA Texas Region Assistant Coach of the Year
Mortera’s Year-by-Year Record as an Assistant Coach
Season, Overall Record, NCAA Tournament, School
2013, 18-6, NCAA Second Round, Purdue
2014, 14-10, Illinois
2015, 21-7, NCAA Sweet 16, Texas Tech
2016, 25-6, NCAA Sweet 16, Texas Tech
2017, 27-5, NCAA Elite Eight, Texas Tech
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