For Immediate Release: Thursday, 22 May 2003
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Sports Information Director, (956) 381-2240

EDUARDO PROVENCIO NAMED UTPA'S NEW HEAD TENNIS COACH

EDINBURG, TX-A coach who has led his team to five conference championships, two regional titles, and earned seven Coach of the Year awards as the head coach at Metropolitan State College of Denver has been named the new head coach for men's and women's tennis at The University of Texas-Pan American.

Eduardo Provencio, the 2002-2003 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men's and Women's Coach of the Year and the Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association North Central Region Women's Coach of the Year, will succeed Todd Chapman. Chapman, who was named Southland Conference Men's Tennis Coach of the Year this past season, stepped down earlier this month for family reasons.

Provencio led both Metro State teams to the NCAA Division II Tournament this season. The women finished first in the RMAC with a perfect 6-0 record, went 16-1 during the regular season, losing only to Division I Air Force. They went undefeated in both the RMAC Tournament and the NCAA North Central Region Tournament and advanced to the NCAA's Elite Eight, for the first time in school history, where they defeated Bloomsburg before losing to Lynn in the semi-finals. They finished 21-2 overall.

The men also earned their third consecutive RMAC championship with a perfect 6-0 record, went 14-3 during the regular season, with one of their losses coming against Big Sky champion and NCAA Division I Tournament qualifier Sacramento State. They swept both of their matches in the RMAC Tournament, and defeated St. Cloud State in the NCAA North Central Region semi-final match before losing the championship match to Northwest Missouri State.

"I'm glad to be coming to Texas-Pan American, and I think it's a great opportunity," said Provencio. "The strengths of the program here kind of mirror those of the program where I'm coming from, there's a lot of support, and I'm looking forward to the challenge of coaching in Division I. There's no doubt that Coach Chapman left the program in a great situation. The men are coming off their strongest year, and the women are just a stone's throw away from being successful. I think the teams can play off of each other, and I'm looking forward to keeping the program moving in the right direction."

"Eduardo Provencio is one of the top young collegiate head tennis coaches in the country," said UTPA Director of Athletics William J. Weidner. "His proven track record of accomplishment clearly demonstrates his ability to build and sustain successful programs that compete annually for conference titles, regional championships, and national honors. Eduardo's ability to locate, recruit and sign talented student-athletes who excel both on the court and in the classroom is widely respected. We congratulate Eduardo on his appointment and we look forward to an exciting and successful era of Bronc and Lady Bronc tennis under his leadership."

In Provencio's three and a half years at Metro State, the Roadrunners won three men's conference championships and two women's titles, earned North Central Region championships with both teams, and compiled a winning percentage of better than .700. This season, Metro State was one of only four programs to advance both its men's and women's programs to the NCAAs. The men finished the season ranked 37th in Division II, the women 39th, and both teams were top-ranked in the region.

A 1995 graduate of Richmond, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Philosophy and twice earned All-League honors in lacrosse, Provencio began his coaching career as the head coach at the Harrisburg (PA) Academy in 1996. He then became the assistant coach at Lebanon Valley College in 1997, while also serving as club director for the Hershey Racquet Club.

Provencio moved to Colorado, where he became an assistant tennis pro at the Denver Country Club. He also was the facility and program director for the University of Denver's Recreation Program, while spending the 1998-99 season as the interim assistant women's tennis coach for DU's NCAA Division I program.

He then became head coach at Metro State, where he led both teams to second place conference finishes, and the men to the NCAA Tournament, earning RMAC Men's Co-Coach of the Year honors. In 2001, the men won the conference tournament and again went to the NCAAs. In 2002, the men went 13-7 and the women went 18-4, and both teams were conference champions, regional champions and NCAA Tournament qualifiers, and Provencio was named RMAC Men's and Women's Coach of the Year and Wilson/ITA Women's Coach of the Year.

Provencio also has international coaching experience. He served as National Tennis Coach for the Botswana Davis Cup team in 2001, selecting the members of the team and coaching them during competition.

Provencio will begin his new duties at Texas Pan American later this summer.

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