Jeff Aranda has been named the head coach of Milwaukee women's tennis, Director of Athletics Amanda Braun announced today.
Aranda comes to Milwaukee with over 28 years of tennis experience under his belt.
Aranda is no stranger to UWM, as he was elected to the Milwaukee Athletics Hall of Fame just one year ago.
"I am extremely honored and very excited for the opportunity to be a head coach for the Panthers," Aranda said. "Being a UWM Hall of Fame tennis player makes this even sweeter. I have a huge passion for this university. I have the utmost respect and only want the best things for UWM and I think that I'm going to bring some good things to the school."
Aranda becomes the 10th head coach in program history.
"Jeff exudes a tremendous passion for the sport of tennis and has proven to be an excellent teacher of the game," Braun said. "You would be hard-pressed to find someone who loves this University more than Jeff. He is the right fit for our program and we are thrilled to welcome Jeff, his wife Diane, and their children to the Panther family."
Aranda's knowledge of tennis is quite extensive. He most recently has been serving as the Head Tennis Professional at River Glen Elite – formerly Elite Sports Club Le Club.
Aranda has been a USPTA-certified professional in the state of Wisconsin since 2009 and has been working with both junior and adult players as an instructor.
He also helped develop, launch and promote VOTSA – a high-level video analysis system designed to help both coaches and players improve their game.
As a player, Aranda was immensely successful. Playing tennis from the age of five, he received a full scholarship to play for the University of Tennessee. While with the Volunteers, Aranda was named all conference his first two years and qualified for the NCAA Tournament both individually and as a player.
Following his sophomore year, Aranda transferred to UWM, where he led the program to unprecedented heights. A two-time team captain and MVP, Aranda helped the team earn a No. 19 ranking in the country and was ranked No. 17 nationally in doubles with brother Jordan Aranda.
Jeff went on to play for on the ATP Tour after his collegiate days, also playing professionally for a team in Munich, Germany.
Aranda takes over for Maddy Soule, who stepped down last month.
Jeff and his wife, Diane, have two children and reside in Glendale.
**Release courtesty of Milwaukee athletic communications.