• 2007, 2010 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year
• 2005, 2007, 2010 Wilson/ITA Regional Coach of the Year
• 2005, 2007, 2009 PSAC West Coach of the Year
Entering his ninth season as head coach with the California University of Pennsylvania tennis program, Pablo Montana has built the Vulcans into one of the elite collegiate tennis programs in the nation.
Montana, the 2007 and 2010 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year, has posted a combined dual record of 169-48 overall (.779) and 54-15 (.783) in PSAC play to become the winningest coach in program history. The Vulcans have earned a berth in the NCAA Championships in seven of the last eight seasons, including quarterfinal appearances in 2007, 2009 and 2010. Additionally, Montana has coached four All-Americans in the last four years in Yumi Matsuto, Inga Chilingaryan, Helena VanEysendeyk and Jutta Bornefeld.
In 2008, Cal U capped one of Montana’s finest seasons with an appearance in the Round of 16, where it fell to West Florida by a 5-1 count to finish No. 9 in the ITA rankings with a 26-3 overall record. The Vulcans advanced to the round of 16 in Houston, Texas, with first- and second-round wins over Saint Michael’s (Vt.) and Bloomsburg, respectively.
That same season, Chilingaryan and VanEysendeyk earned doubles All-America status by finishing No. 2 in the ITA doubles ranking after posting a 20-1 record. The pair also received All-America laurels in singles action with VanEysendeyk finishing No. 4 in the ITA rankings.
In 2007, the Vulcans advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the first time in program history. For his effort in guiding Cal U to a school-best 28-2 record and a No. 6 ranking by the ITA, Montana received Wilson/ITA National and Regional Coach of the Year accolades. Under his coaching, the Vulcans featured its first All-American doubles team in recent program history with Chilingaryan and Matsuto.
Montana guided Cal U to the NCAA Championships in his first season with the program in 2003 with a 12-9 overall record. Over the next three seasons, the Vulcans posted at least 17 victories with two NCAA Championship post-seasons.
In addition to the success on the court, Montana has guided the program into an elite program in the classroom. In each of the last seven seasons, the Vulcans have earned ITA All-Academic honors with 17 different players receiving ITA Scholar-Athlete status.
A tennis standout in college, Montana was a two-time All-American at the University of Tennessee (1993-96). He was a three-time All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection, earning first-team honors in both singles and doubles play in 1996. Montana and doubles partner Chris Mahony were the No. 4 ranked collegiate doubles team in the country at the end of his junior year, posting 23 victories. Montana and Mahony rank second in Volunteers’ history with 75 career doubles wins.
After his collegiate career was finished, he served as a national coach with the United States Tennis Association in 1999.
In his first college coaching experience, Montana served as the assistant coach with Vanderbilt University for three seasons. While with the Commodores, he helped coach Andrew Nisker, who in 2000 became the first Vanderbilt player to win an SEC Championship since 1982. During Montana’s tenure at Vanderbilt, the Commodores were ranked as high as No. 28 in 1999, the highest mark in the history of the program to that point.
A native of Miami, Montana completed his bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from Regents (N.Y.) in 1998 before he earned his master’s degree from Cal U in 2004.
Montana and his wife Karen reside in Canonsburg, Pa., with their two children, Alexis and Silas.
MONTANA YEAR-BY-YEAR COACHING RECORD
| Year |
Overall
Record |
Win Pct. |
Conference
Record (Finish) |
NCAA Finish
|
Final Rank
|
2002-03
|
12-9
|
.571
|
4-4 (5th)
|
Round of 64
|
No. 7 East Region
|
2003-04
|
18-8 |
.692
|
3-5 (6th)
|
|
No. 6 East Region
|
2004-05
|
17-8
|
.680
|
5-3 (3rd)
|
Round of 64
|
No. 7 East Region
|
2005-06
|
17-9
|
.654
|
6-3 (2nd)
|
Round of 64
|
No. 6 East Region
|
2006-07
|
28-2
|
.933
|
10-0 (1st)
|
Quarterfinals
|
No. 6 ITA
|
2007-08
|
26-3
|
.897
|
10-0 (1st)
|
Round of 16
|
No. 9 ITA
|
2008-09
|
23-3
|
.885
|
9-0 (1st)
|
Quarterfinals
|
No. 15 ITA
|
| 2009-10 |
24-6 |
.800 |
7-0 (1st) |
Quarterfinals |
No. 10 ITA |
| TOTALS |
165-49
|
.775
|
54-15 (.783)
|
|
|
