Severance Named Head Coach of Women's Tennis Program
7/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
July 14, 2004
John Severance, an assistant coach at the University of Houston since 2001, has been named the head coach for the UH women's tennis team, it was announced today by Associate Athletics Director and Senior Women's Administrator Diane Hall.
"The UH Athletics department and our student-athletes are extremely pleased that John will be taking over the leadership of our women's tennis program," said Hall. "He has been instrumental in recruiting student-athletes, who are outstanding both on and off the court, and building a young and nationally competitive team.
"Severance is an accomplished teacher and coach on the collegiate and professional level. His skills, experience, values and leadership will ensure a successful Cougar program."
Severance succeeds Jennifer Hyde, who last week accepted the head coaching position at her alma mater, Florida State University.
"First of all, I want to thank the UH administration, especially (Athletics Director) Dave Maggard and Diane Hall, for giving me this opportunity," said Severance. "Secondly, I want to wish Jennifer (Hyde) the best of luck at Florida State.
"I am looking forward to making this transition as smooth as possible," continued Severance. "I think it helps that I have a tremendous amount of support from my players, staff and administration."
With three seasons of coaching experience at UH under his belt, Severance brings a wealth of knowledge to the program as he takes its helm and continues to build upon its recent success.
"I am excited that John has been chosen to take over the helm of the program. He was an integral part of the success the team has had over the last few years," said Hyde. "In my opinion, he is the definitely the right person for the job. He will continue to build on the foundation that we built over the last three years."
Since joining the Houston program in 2001, Severance has been responsible for the technical development of players, coordinated team travel and assisted in scheduling, managed the team budget, and organized and directed the UH Fall Classic Tournament from 2001-03. More importantly, he has established and maintained crucial recruiting connections both domestically and internationally, and has played an important role in signing current student-athletes on the UH squad.
Prior to arriving in Houston, Severance worked at the Tucson Racquet and Fitness Club in Tucson, Arizona. Severance is a certified member of the United States Professional Tennis Association and has been given the elite rating of Professional I. Prior to his appointment at Houston, Severance primarily worked with the juniors in the excellence program at the Tucson Racquet and Fitness Club.
Severance enjoyed a successful playing career at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. He was one of the top players in singles and doubles during the 1997-98 season. Preceding his play at Colorado Springs, Severance played at Mesa Community College (1995-97), where he helped his team to a #10 national ranking at the National Tournament in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1997.
He finished his studies at the University of Arizona in 1999 and graduated with a bachelor of arts in sociology. He also received an associate of arts from Mesa Community College in 1997.