Clarence Mabry: The "Father of Trinity Tennis"

It all started in 1956. At this time, Trinity was still a Division I school. According to Butch Newman, the current director of Trinity tennis, Clarence Mabry was a man who really cared and was highly respected in the community of Trinity University. "Mabry was the richest man I knew," stated Coach Newman. By rich, he meant full of love and care for all of his friends, co-workers, players, and family members. He really took the time to build relationships with everyone he could. 

When Mabry wanted to start the program. he had no courts, no scholarships, no players; he just had a vision. His sponsor told him that if he could find players, he could subsidize scholarships. They had to practice at McFarlin Tennis Center, which was about 2 miles away from the school. This last around 3 to 4 years until they were able to get courts of their own. 

Mabry went on to develop the program into a national powerhouse. In only seven years, he built the nation's number one tennis team from scratch. His teams gathered a record of 319-36. He guided the team to a division I championship in 1972. When referring to his best four players in 1972, he said that they "were capable of beating any player on any day...they're one the college level of super star status," according to The Victoria Advocate (1972). In 1970 and 1971 his teams were finalists. Overall, he produced 10-All Americans, including the late Chuck Mckinley, the Wimbledon champion of 1963, and NCAA singles champion Dick Stockton, who became a top ranked pro. Butch Newman also became an All-American under Mabry's leadership. He finished coaching in 1974. It's safe to say he left Trinity with a tremendous foundation of tennis. He passed away on January 26, 2013, at the age of 87. He will be dearly missed.