A Brief History

Trinity University’s tennis program is perhaps best known for its tremendous success in the late ’60s and early ‘70s as a national tennis powerhouse (Hester, 2017). International stars, professional players, and the very best of college tennis once defined Trinity's program. The glory days of the program helped build not just a name for the school but the shape of the college tennis landscape as we know it. However, the success and notability of the program today can be attributed to one man - Butch Newman. Newman is accoladed for his storied career as a player at Trinity from 1961-1965, but his biggest legacy can be credited to his immensely successful coaching career from 1986-2008. Newman’s coaching expertise led the program through the tumultuous transition from DI to DIII. At the head of both the men’s and women’s teams, Newman’s success as a coach took the program and propelled it to the top of Division III athletics where it remains today.