University of North Texas Athletics
Tennis Adds Almeida To Coaching Staff
8/23/2019 1:12:00 PM | Women's Tennis
DENTON —North Texas head tennis coach Sujay Lama has announced the hiring of Rodrigo Almeida as a Tennis Health Program Coordinator to his coaching staff.
One of the top young coaches in the nation who is widely respected for player development, Almeida helped lead the Campbell men's team to the 2018 Big South Conference championship. He spent last season at UTEP with the women's team and helped develop freshman Kristen Prelle into an all-conference No. 1 player in the Miners lineup and one of the league's top players overall.
"We are truly blessed to have coach Rodrigo join our Mean Green family," Lama said. "He is one of the finest young coaches in all of college tennis. His expertise on player development and high performance training will be a huge asset to our program.
"His passion for the game and the student-athletes is contagious and will make us all better," he added.
While at Campbell, Almeida coached both the men's and women's team. While leading the men to a conference title in 2018 he was also aiding the women's team to a Big South Conference Tournament semifinal appearance. He mentored the 2018 Big South women's Freshman of the Year, Ana Castillo, as well as the 2018 Big South men's tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Dustin Werner.
Success hasn't only been at Campbell for Almeida.
Prior to his three seasons at Campbell where he coached the team to 17 all-conference accolades and 36 Big South Academic Honor Roll nods, Almeida was at Western New Mexico where in 2015 he coached both the men and women's teams to conference championships and the men were ranked as high as No. 26 in the nation. He mentored Alvaro Nunez who later was inducted into WNMU's athletic hall of fame.
Almeida is a graduate of Western New Mexico where he was a nationally ranked tennis player and the 2014 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year. As the team captain he led WNMU to a RMAC title and a No. 1 ranking in the region. Western New Mexico reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Tournament in 2011 and a Round of 16 appearance in 2012.
A native of Brazil, Almeida was ranked as high as No 5 in the nation as a adolescent.
"It is an incredible honor to join the Mean Green family," Almeida said. "I met coach Sujay not long ago, but the great connection we had was more than enough to make this decision worth it."
"I am very thankful to him and his family. He has done an amazing job with this program and I cannot wait to add to the strong foundation of UNT Tennis. The entire UNT Athletic Department has been extremely supportive and my wife and I are very appreciative. From day one, I felt like this is the place I was meant to be at. The Denton community is so welcoming and we are happy to call this place home."
Almeida joins a UNT program that has Lama has led for 13 full seasons and has taken to great heights.
Along with winning conference championships, Lama guided recent graduates Tamuna Kutubidze and Maria Kononova to the NCAA Tournament and the two winningest tennis players in program history.
One of the top young coaches in the nation who is widely respected for player development, Almeida helped lead the Campbell men's team to the 2018 Big South Conference championship. He spent last season at UTEP with the women's team and helped develop freshman Kristen Prelle into an all-conference No. 1 player in the Miners lineup and one of the league's top players overall.
"We are truly blessed to have coach Rodrigo join our Mean Green family," Lama said. "He is one of the finest young coaches in all of college tennis. His expertise on player development and high performance training will be a huge asset to our program.
"His passion for the game and the student-athletes is contagious and will make us all better," he added.
While at Campbell, Almeida coached both the men's and women's team. While leading the men to a conference title in 2018 he was also aiding the women's team to a Big South Conference Tournament semifinal appearance. He mentored the 2018 Big South women's Freshman of the Year, Ana Castillo, as well as the 2018 Big South men's tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Dustin Werner.
Success hasn't only been at Campbell for Almeida.
Prior to his three seasons at Campbell where he coached the team to 17 all-conference accolades and 36 Big South Academic Honor Roll nods, Almeida was at Western New Mexico where in 2015 he coached both the men and women's teams to conference championships and the men were ranked as high as No. 26 in the nation. He mentored Alvaro Nunez who later was inducted into WNMU's athletic hall of fame.
Almeida is a graduate of Western New Mexico where he was a nationally ranked tennis player and the 2014 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year. As the team captain he led WNMU to a RMAC title and a No. 1 ranking in the region. Western New Mexico reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Tournament in 2011 and a Round of 16 appearance in 2012.
A native of Brazil, Almeida was ranked as high as No 5 in the nation as a adolescent.
"It is an incredible honor to join the Mean Green family," Almeida said. "I met coach Sujay not long ago, but the great connection we had was more than enough to make this decision worth it."
"I am very thankful to him and his family. He has done an amazing job with this program and I cannot wait to add to the strong foundation of UNT Tennis. The entire UNT Athletic Department has been extremely supportive and my wife and I are very appreciative. From day one, I felt like this is the place I was meant to be at. The Denton community is so welcoming and we are happy to call this place home."
Almeida joins a UNT program that has Lama has led for 13 full seasons and has taken to great heights.
Along with winning conference championships, Lama guided recent graduates Tamuna Kutubidze and Maria Kononova to the NCAA Tournament and the two winningest tennis players in program history.
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