Peter Wright will continue as the director of men’s tennis

MTEN8/25/2021 9:10 AM | Posted by: Cal Athletics

Cal Alumnus Led program for 29 seasons

BERKELEY Peter Wright, which generated more wins and NCAA tournament seats than any coach in Cal men’s tennis history, announced Wednesday that he will retire as a men’s tennis director and turn 29.

Wright was the ninth coach in the long history of Cal men’s tennis and the Golden Bear alum, setting a 383-256 record in Berkeley. He directed Calia to the NCAA Championships 25 times, including 20 consecutive seasons from 1994 to 2019, before the pandemic caused the cancellation of the 2020 post-season tournament.

“Peter has been a part of Cal tennis for over three decades as both a student-athlete and coach, and he leaves us with many honors and more wins and NCAA appearances than any coach in our history,” Cal-Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton said. “His players have achieved success on the field after consistently graduating to a very high level at the country’s public university. He has left his mark on Cal tennis, and we wish Peter good luck in the next chapter.”

Wright graduated from Cal with a degree in social sciences in 1991, and took over the program two years later. Over the next 29 seasons, Wright led the Bears to at least the NCAA round 11 times, including a semi-final spot in 2016.

Under his leadership, Cal ended the year ranked in the top 20 in the country 14 times, with four appearances in the top ten. The 2004 team ended the season in 4th place, while his 2016 team was No. 9.

“It’s been an honor to be part of the Cal tennis program as a player and coach for nearly four decades,” Wright said. “Our world-class university has given me the opportunity to coach without a doubt some of the finest young men and tennis players anywhere, and the privilege of promoting their growth and development as students, athletes and caring, balanced individuals I am forever grateful to everyone who has participated in and I am proud of my role in leading the program and building the platform for its continued success. “

Added former Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott: “I am very grateful for Peter’s many contributions to the development and success of men’s tennis at Pac-12 over the past 11 years as a commissioner. He has not only been one of the most respected leaders in our league, but excellent national representative. “

Wright was a three-time Pac-12 coach of the year, earning honors in 1997, 2001 and 2016, and was elected Wilson / ITA Coach of the Year in 1994. He was awarded the 2012 USTA / ITA National Campus & Community Outreach Award for Leading Role in Tennis throughout the community, both on and off campus. In addition, in 2017, he received the prestigious ITA Meritorious Service Award, which is given annually in recognition of an ITA coach who has exceeded his commitment and contribution to ITA and university tennis in general.

During Wright, 16 Cal players received a total of 20 ITA All-America selections, while the Golden Bears earned either the first or second team All-Pac-12 award 39 times. Conor Niland was selected as the 2016 Pac-10 single player and Balazs Veress / Patrick Briaud (2004) and Christoffer Konigsfeldt /Campbell Johnson (2013) received the tabs for Pac-12 double teams of the year. The Three Bears – Veress (2001), Johnson (2013) and Yuta Kikuchi (2019) was chosen as the freshman conference of the year.

Wright’s teams were also successful in the classroom: 48 student athletes received either the first or second team’s Pac-12 All-Academic award during his tenure. Cal’s men’s tennis teams earned a full 1,000 percent of academic progress each time the score was calculated, and the Bears had a 100 percent completion rate every five years.

As Cal’s head coach, Wright served as chairman of the NCAA Tennis Committee and on the boards of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), the USTA National Varsity Collegiate Tennis Committee, and the ITA Operating Committee.

Wright has served for nearly 30 years on the board of Youth Tennis Advantage, a chapter of Arthur Ashen’s NJTL Bay Area unit dedicated to serving communities within the city. In 2003, he helped set up the BearTrax program in Cali. He used members of men’s and women’s tennis teams to provide tennis and academic tutoring and life skills training for young people with disabilities. In addition, the California Alumni Association has awarded a TAAP grant under the name Wright to support low-income first-generation college students as they pursue their education in Berkeley.

As a player, the highlights of Wright’s professional tour were appearances at Wimbledon and the Australian Open. He represented Ireland in the Davis Cup from 1988-95 and served as captain of the Irish Davis Cup from 1995-2003. Wright also served as Ireland’s head coach at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He has earned admission to the USTA Northern California Hall of Fame and Berkeley High School Hall of Fame.

Amanda Augustus, now in his 14th season as head coach of the Cal women’s team, serves as a temporary men’s coach. A national search is conducted to find a new full-time leader in the men’s program.