Cari Groce Named Women's Tennis Coach
July 10, 2003 | Women's Tennis
July 10, 2003
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech athletics director Gerald Myers announced today the hiring of Cari Groce as the head women's tennis coach. Groce comes to Tech after 12 successful years as the head coach at Washington State University.
Groce, a native of Stillwater, Okla., guided the Cougars to four NCAA appearances in the last six years, while being named the 2002 Pacific-10 Conference Coach of the Year as well as receiving Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Northwest Region Coach of the Year honors. She was also one of five finalists for the ITA National Coach of the Year. In 2002, her Cougar team finished 29th in the country in the ITA team rankings. WSU reached 26th in the ITA ranking twice in 2002, the highest ranking in school history. Since 1994, Groce kept the WSU women's tennis team ranked nationally and produced 10 Academic All-Americans and three Academic All-American teams.
"I'm very excited about the opportunities that exist here at Texas Tech University and within the tennis program," said Groce. "I am thrilled to be back in Texas where I have family and friends. Having grown up in Texas and with my father having connections with state coaches and teaching professionals, I hope to reacquaint myself with them in order to build a top 20 program. I see the immediate future of Texas Tech tennis not only as strong competitors in the Big 12, but contenders for the title."
Groce was appointed to Washington State's head coaching position in May 1991. Prior to accepting her appointment at WSU, she served on year as head coach at the University of Tulsa (1990-91). Groce also served as an assistant coach at Texas Tech (1989-90) and Oklahoma State (1987-89).
Groce was a four-year letterwinner at the University of Nebraska where she became the first tennis player to become an All-American for the Huskers. She was a Big 8 Conference finalist in singles and doubles all four years. During her junior year, Groce earned NCAA/ITA All-American honors while reaching the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. She went on to play a stint on the WTA professional circuit.
From there, Groce moved on to Oklahoma State as an assistant coach while she completed her bachelor's degree in recreation administration and management in 1988.
Groce returns to Lubbock after living here while her late father, Ike, was the first tennis coach at Coronado High School. He then went on to coach in Abilene and Brownwood before becoming the coach at Oklahoma State University. He is an inductee in the Texas Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame. Groce also has family ties at Texas Tech as her brother-in-law, Johnny Barr, is an assistant football coach for the Red Raiders and her uncle, Tommy McVay, is the Director of Football Operations at Tech.