The Boys and Girls of 2000

On a Sunday morning in May of 2000, Butch Newman awoke and got ready for church as he would any other Sunday of the year. This Sunday was different, however. Instead of getting ready to attend service at his local congregation in San Antonio where he lived, Newman was in St. Peter, Minnesota. Accompanied by assistant coach Ryan Takao, in just a few short hours they would go on to capture the NCAA National Championship trophy with the Trinity University women’s tennis team. And just 30 minutes after that, the men’s team would do the same in Kalamazoo, Michigan. As Newman arrived at church just across the street from where his team would later compete for the national championship, a sense of peace fell over him as he looked at the building. It was none other than Trinity Church. Newman smiled as he felt someone looking over him. 

Butch Newman made history on that Sunday in May of 2000 as he became the first and only coach in NCAA history to ever win the National Championship while coaching both the Men's and the Women's tennis programs in the same year. This phenomenal feat was only achieved through his hard work and dedication to the program. The resiliency that made him a great player made him an even better coach. When things got tough, he buckled down and got to work instead of walking away. The legendary season of 2000 was a direct reflection of Newman's passion and commitment to excellence.