Sometimes, people reach the pinnacle of their sport, and they are ready to move on.
Virginia men's tennis coach Brian Boland announced Wednesday he will be leaving the Cavaliers' program at the end of the outdoor season to become the head of men's tennis for USTA Player Development in Orlando, Fla. He will be tasked with helping turn around men's tennis at the professional level in the United States, which is at a pretty low point. The Williams sisters, especially Serena, are known for their exploits on the women's side, but the men's side is devoid of many standouts. International players dominate men's tennis. There are only seven American players ranked in the ATP top 100. It is quite the undertaking, but also an honor, and one Boland said he is excited about tackling.
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| Brian Boland has won three outdoor national championships in 16 seasons at Virginia. |
Boland said a lot of his family lives in Orlando or Florida now, and that he was ready for a new challenge after also talking about it with his wife. It's easy to see why he'd be ready. After 16 years, Boland and the Cavaliers have won three of the past four NCAA titles -- including the past two -- plus six ITA national team indoor titles, the most recent of which came in February when the Wahoos defeated Ohio State in Charlottesville. They've also won 13 ACC regular-season titles and 11 ACC tournament championships while compiling a 436-57 record. For a decade, the team won 140 consecutive matches against ACC teams, a conference record for any sport that was finally snapped in 2016 when North Carolina defeated UVa in the ITA indoor finals. Additionally, UVa has had three singles NCAA champions and three doubles teams champions under Boland's watch.
Some fans are comparing this situation to when the men's soccer team lost Bruce Arena to Major League Soccer's D.C. United in 1996 and then to the men's U.S. national team a couple of years later. Arena won five national championships while leading the Cavaliers for 18 years.
There was really nothing left for Boland to prove at Virginia, and the move is understandable if still disappointing. He has certainly positioned Virginia in a great spot on the national college tennis stage, and there should be plenty of candidates who would want to take the job, though they will certainly be following a legend. Boland should be able to give great input as to who the next coach should be or, at the very least, characteristics the athletics department should look for in the next coach. Additionally, at his news conference Wednesday, Boland said he will still be involved with a new outdoor complex being planned for the Virginia men's and women's tennis programs.
Hopefully, the 'Hoos can squeeze out one more national championship before Boland's tenure is up. Virginia is 17-0, and the ACC tournament is at the end of April with the NCAA tournament beginning in mid-May.
If you want to catch Boland in one of his final home matches, there are four left in the regular season: Sunday vs. Clemson at 1 p.m., Friday, April 7 vs. Virginia Tech at 3, Sunday, April 9 vs. North Carolina at 1, and Thursday, April 13 vs. Georgia Tech at 5.
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