Anthony Pham on Coaching ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Tennis: It's All ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ the Players
Anthony Pham was named ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ tennis associate head coach in February 2021 and head coach just five months later. Since then, the team has seen a remarkable program turnaround, and they’ve become like family.
What attracted you to ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥?
We were living in Madison, Wisconsin, and it was the thick of COVID. We were trying to figure out where to live long term. The opportunity at ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ was fate. My wife is a ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ graduate. When she heard about the coach opening, she said we needed to jump at it. I've never met anyone who went to ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ and had a negative experience. And with the tennis program, there was so much potential.
Quickly after arriving, you became the seventh head coach in program history. How did that change your responsibilities and relationships?
I was previously a head coach at a small Division 1 school. Coaching at a mid-major compared to a Power 5 school, budgets and responsibilities are different, but that job prepared me a lot. You have to gain the players’ trust, and they have to know you always have their best interests in mind. Getting the opportunity to become head coach is something I don’t take lightly. As head coach, you’re scheduling, recruiting, doing everything an assistant coach does, but it’s tenfold. The number-one priority doesn’t change. It’s all about the players.
How do you find good people, not just good players?
We try to be as thorough as possible. The team is an extended part of my family. We spend so much time with these players. On a small team, one person can upset the balance. In terms of recruiting, we visit with them and their family. We talk to their coaches and other coaches. There are a lot of good tennis players, but there aren’t as many tennis players who are also good people and good students.
What goes into building a competitive Power 5 conference tennis program?
We focus on development. We find people for whom the best tennis is still ahead. Kids start playing tennis early, and sometimes they burn out. We want student-athletes who want to keep improving, to be part of a program that is making headway and doing things that haven’t been done before.
How would you describe your leadership style?
I empower players to know that when they play, they are prepared. They are going to compete in a first-class manner. We want to win like crazy, but it’s not all about winning. It’s about doing the right things every day. You can’t really control winning and losing, but you can control a lot of variables that go into winning. Obviously, if we don’t have success, we reassess some things and try again.
Can you coach players during matches?
If you go to a normal junior tournament as a coach, you’re not allowed to coach at all. You can only cheer. But with college, it’s completely different. We can sit on the sideline with our players and talk to them at every changeover. You have to know when to talk, which buttons to push and when to keep your mouth shut if your player is rolling.
How are the fall and spring seasons different?
Spring is the championship season. It’s when we play our dual and conference matches. Fall is shorter. It’s our developmental season. We bring a player in, and we will make some minor adjustments to their game. We start setting our standards, creating expectations with players, building the bond within the team. In the fall, we’re giving them two or three things to focus on. And the hope is when the spring season comes around, those things that were uncomfortable in the fall are now strengths.
What stands out to you about ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Athletics?
It starts at the top. Rick George is the most personal athletic director I’ve been around. At matches, he’s fired up, he knows all the players, and all the players know him. And we have great academic support, nutrition, trainers, an amazing strength coach. ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ offers the best of three worlds: great location, great academics, top-notch athletics.
Can you speak to what college tennis offers that differs from training academies or private coaching?
Tennis is a very individual sport. Growing up, if you’re playing a tournament, it’s usually you and your coach or a parent. College is completely different. You’re on a team, and everyone is committed. The more you improve as individuals, the more it helps the team. When we play a match, there’s energy from court to court. Your teammates are pumping you up, supporting you. When you’re playing a tournament by yourself, whether you win or lose affects maybe a couple people. With college tennis, there are so many others affected.
What’s something you like to do off the court?
I love spending time with my wife and son. They come to all our matches, they’re great supporters. Whether I’m with our team here or my family at home, that's where I find the most enjoyment.
Interview by Andrew Daigle.
Photos by Glenn Asakawa