ITA College Coaches Podcast: From Volunteer to Visionary featuring Robin Stephenson

Robin Stephenson is in her 12th season as the Head Women’s Coach at the University of Washington. Under her leadership, UW has made six NCAA tournament appearances, and finished the season ranked in the top 30 five times. In this podcast, Robin reflects on her time as a volunteer assistant for Bryan Shelton at Georgia Tech and the lessons she carries from that NCAA Championship season. She and Dave discuss her coaching journey, what she thinks defines a great college coach and how she evaluates and challenges herself with each season.

Nick Zieziula is entering his 12th season as the Head Men’s Coach at Binghamton University. In this podcast, Dave and Nick discuss the ways he was able to keep various key stakeholders engaged and involved with his program during a performance slump. They also talk about what coming back from that looks like and how he and his coaching staff are maintaining their momentum. Finally - this fall, Nick’s program and several other universities in New York, along with USTA Eastern, worked together to create a large community service event centered around a fall college tournament. Nick explains what they did, how they did it and why other college coaches should consider implementing something similar in their own communities.

After graduating from the University of Montana, Jason Brown spent years outside the tennis world, including time as a professional poker player. Dave and Jason delve into the skills he honed in the high-stakes world of poker and how those lessons translated back to the court. Jason also discusses the evolution of his coaching career, his experience working in analytics for pro tennis players and the lessons he’s learned from a former teammate.

Tim discusses transitioning from the pro tour to college coaching, his remarkable success at Texas Tech, and his decision to retire. He also opens up about the tragic events that unfolded just 20 days after his retirement, and how they influenced the person he is today.

Coaches, please enjoy this special episode that takes a look back at some of our first podcasts recorded during the 2019-20 college tennis season. Guests such as David Roditi, Peter Wright, Sheila McInerney, and Claire Pollard are featured during this first-ever top moments podcast from the ITA. 

In this episode, several leading media members within college tennis sit down with ITA CEO David Mullins to discuss this past college tennis season. Listen as they discuss some of the biggest surprises, breakout stars, and more on this season recap episode. 

Raleigh’s experience has fueled his mission at the University of Idaho: to make college tennis indispensable. Raleigh and Dave discuss the steps that he is taking to make sure his program is vital to his athletics department. He also gives advice that all coaches should consider implementing as soon as possible. College tennis is at a critical juncture. Coaches are encouraged to look at all aspects of their program and consider what are truly priorities at this moment. Raleigh’s call to action urges every coach to proactively invest in their program's longevity, turning a crisis into an opportunity for growth and popularity.

In this podcast, Dave & Steve discuss how he implements what he learns through his PhD, to his team, how he develops a culture of continuous improvement in his athletes, and the ways he stays innovative in managing his program. Steve also gives some great advice on how coaches can wrap up their season and the school year.

Dave & Chris discuss coaching transitions, from volunteer to full-time assistant, and across schools. Chris shares his perspective on the importance of staying in one place, working for good people and learning the ins and outs of the profession. They also discuss recruiting and the impact of NIL on tennis, the ways in which he continually learns how to improve as a coach, and new ideas he impleneted with his team.

Welcome to the ITA Student-Athlete Podcast with your host Abi Wild, a former women’s tennis player at Hawaii Pacific University. This podcast was created by college tennis players for college tennis players to share the stories and experiences of our unique sport with the world.