Fresno Pacific University Director of Athletics
Aaron Henderson announced on October 14, 2020 the selection of Central Valley native George Rodriguez to lead the Sunbird tennis program. Rodriguez brings with him a wealth of experience, including more than 20 years coaching at the club and collegiate levels.
"I am extremely excited and honored to be a part of the FPU Department of Athletics as the tennis program's head coach," Rodriguez said. "It is my goal to bring in top talent both in the classroom and on the tennis court from our local community and beyond. FPU Tennis has an extremely strong tradition of producing great players and teams, but more importantly, I look forward to working with, developing, and shaping the leaders of the future."
Rodriguez has spent the last two years as the Director of Tennis at Premier Athletic and Tennis Club in Grandville, Mich. His responsibilities included training a team of nine tennis professionals, overseeing pro shop sales and creating tennis classes for the facility.
Prior to his stop in Grandville, Rodriguez served in various coaching roles at NCAA Division II Grand Valley State, including assistant coach and interim head coach. Most recently, he was named the ITA Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2019 after helping both Laker programs earn national rankings.
Rodriguez received his undergraduate degree in Professional Tennis Management in 1998 from Ferris State University, where he was also a student-athlete. During his senior season, Rodriguez lost only one singles match while helping the Bulldogs to the GLIAC Conference Championship.
Rodriguez will inherit a Sunbirds team that posted a 10-0 record and jumped into the ITA national rankings in 2020 before the cancellation of the spring season due to COVID-19. Back in July, FPU Athletics announced
the return of men's tennisfor the 2021-22 season, and Rodriguez will be responsible for both FPU squads once the program relaunches.
"We are eager to see the leadership George will bring to FPU, not only with his tennis knowledge, but also with his life experience and his ties to the Valley," Henderson said. "Our goal is to continue to strengthen our place within the tennis community, and we feel that George is the person to help us do that. We are excited to welcome George and his family into the FPU community."
