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Ingram
calls it quits at conclusion of the season TCU women’s tennis head coach Roland Ingram has created so many memories in his 36 years of coaching that he can not pick one memory as his greatest. “There have been so many good memories in my career,” Ingram said. “It’s always been the little things that made my job worthwhile.” Ingram, the only full-time women’s tennis coach the Frogs have ever known, announced his retirement, effective at the conclusion of this season. Ingram cited the best interests of his team and himself as reason for his retirement. “I’ve been coaching for 36 years,” Ingram said. “I love the team and I love my job, but it’s become more time-consuming than it has in the past. I don’t have the drive like I used to.” Although the official announcement came yesterday, Ingram said that his team had known about his decision for a while. “I told the team about three or four weeks ago,” Ingram said. “There were a lot of tears, and a lot of them came from me. It’s better that they found out early from me. Now, they can keep their focus and perform well at the conference championships.” Ingram, a native of Harlingen, started coaching in 1966 at Amarillo High School. In 1974, he became the head coach at Midland Junior College, where his team captured the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletics Association) championship. In 1984, Ingram came to TCU and achieved a 30-4 record in his first year. Since then, his teams have compiled a 324-154 record in his 19 years here, with three conference championships in the Southwest and the Western Athletic Conferences. Ingram was also named SWC Coach of the Year in 1986 and 1991 and WAC Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2001. He was named to the Texas Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1995. “There’s a direct correlation between work and success,” Ingram said. “I’ve loved working here, and I’m going to miss coaching even more than anyone knows. I’ll miss it even more than I know. I’m going to wish I was at practice with the team. I’ve had my time, though, and it’s time for someone else to lead this team to prominence.” During his time at TCU, Ingram has had four players go on to earn All-American honors. Rene Simpson and Tory Plunkett achieved the honor in 1988 and Lucie Dvorakova and Daria Zoldakova were honored in 2000. Ingram’s teams advanced to the NCAA Regional in 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2001. His teams have finished among the top 50 eight times, with six of those teams finishing in the top 25. This year’s team, currently ranked No. 26 in the nation, currently holds a 17-4 record. “I’ve been blessed to have so many fine players,” Ingram said. “I’ve tried to stay in contact with them all, and I want to try to visit some of them whenever I can.” TCU, ranked No. 26 in the nation, finished the regular season Saturday with a 5-1 win over Tulsa. The win was the seventh in a row for TCU. The Horned Frogs are undefeated in C-USA play with a 3-0 mark. The Frogs will next see action they host the C-USA championships. Play begins Thursday and last until Sunday. Admission is free. Ingram says that after the season ends, he will spend a lot of time with his family, especially his two grandsons. He also said that he will stay in contact with the members of the team. “He was my friend, and I’ll miss him,” said sophomore Paty Aburto. “He taught me to believe in myself and to have fun whenever I played. He was like my ‘American father.’” Quinten
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TCU Daily Skiff © 2002 |
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