Information from the Arizona media relations department contributed to this report:
Arizona head men’s tennis coach Clancy Shields has agreed to a contract extension through the 2026 season, the school reported Thursday.
Shields, who has been named Pac-12 Coach of the Year each of the last two seasons, has led Arizona to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time since 2010.
“Clancy continues to elevate and grow Arizona Men’s Tennis into a program of national distinction, winning back-to-back Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors and guiding our program to its first-ever Sweet 16,” Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke said. “After turning Arizona Men’s Tennis from a program on the rise to an elite program, Clancy has created an atmosphere of excellence that produces outstanding success on the court, in the classroom and in the community. I look forward to seeing our men’s tennis program sustain that excellence for years to come.”
Shields, the only two-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year in Arizona history, has taken the program to places it has never been, culminated with a Sweet 16 appearance in the 2021 NCAA Tournament where the Wildcats battled No. 3 Tennessee to the very last set. The Wildcats finished in season with a program-record 21 wins and finished in second place in the Pac-12, Arizona’s best finish in school history.
“I want to thank Dave Heeke and our administration for their tremendous support and entrusting me to lead this incredible program,” Shields said. “I’m very excited and grateful to be coaching here at the University of Arizona. This place is special; from our staff to our student-athletes, to the incredible community, it is an honor to call Tucson home. I want to thank our student-athletes and coaches for all the hard work they have put in to elevate this program to where it is today. They have built a championship culture that attracts greatness and we are all excited to keep building this for many years to come.”
In his fifth season as head coach, Shields became the first coach to be named back-to-back Pac-12 Coach of the Year since 2014 and is the fourth coach in conference history to do so.
Freshman Gustaf Strom was named Freshman/Newcomer of the Year, the first in Arizona history and was also named First Team All-Pac-12, Arizona’s first first-team selection since 2009.
Jonas Ziverts was named to the second team for the second-consecutive season while Alejandro Reguant and Filip Malbasic were named honorable mention. Shields also helped Reguant become the winningest player in Arizona history.
The Wildcats’ 2020 recruiting class was ranked No. 6 in the country.
Not only have the Wildcats thrived on the court during Shields’ tenure, they have exceled in the classroom as well. From 2018 to 2020, Arizona men’s tennis was named an ITA All-Academic team and are on track to be named an ITA All-Academic team for the fourth year in a row.
Additionally, at least one student-athlete has been on the Pac-12 All-Academic team in each year of Shields’ tenure. In the last two seasons, men’s tennis placed four student-athletes on the Pac-12 Spring Academic Honor Roll.
Recommended for you
