May 28, 2009
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The University of Maryland will be in search of a new leader for its men's tennis program as the contract of head coach Jim Laitta will not be renewed for the 2009-10 academic year.
Laitta spent 19 seasons coaching tennis at Maryland, including the last eight running the men's team.
He spent the first 11 years of his tenure as Maryland's director of tennis where he headed up both the men's and women's programs.
"We appreciate Jim's efforts, but we have decided to move our men's tennis program in a new direction," said Kathy Worthington, senior associate director of athletics. "We're not where we expect to be competitively, with very good facilities and scholarship support."
Over the last four seasons the Terps were 6-39 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. They struggled to a 7-14 record this past season, including a 1-11 mark in the ACC.
Laitta did produce the first All-Americans at the school in over 30 years.
Boris Fetbroyt and Andrew Orban advanced to the round of 16 in the 2008 NCAA Doubles Championship after entering the tournament among the top eight seeds, thus gaining All-America status.
John Lucas was the last Maryland men's tennis player to earn All-America honors (1976). No doubles team in school history had reached All-America status.
In 1996, he led the Terrapin women's team to its first-ever NCAA appearance, as well as a tie for fourth place in the grueling ACC. As a result, he was named both ACC and NCAA Region I Coach of the Year by his peers.
The 1998-99 season saw the women's team achieve the "triple crown" at the NCAA Tournament by competing as a team and sending competitors in both singles and doubles.
Prior to coming to Maryland, Laitta was the head women's tennis coach at Mississippi State University from 1989-1990. The program finished in the Top 20 and captured an NCAA Doubles Championship.
