AUBURN, Ala. – Chris Hooshyar is joining the Auburn men's tennis program as assistant coach after five successful seasons with the Auburn women's team, the past two as associate head coach.
"I'm so excited to have Chris Hooshyar as Auburn's new men's assistant coach," Auburn men's head coach Bobby Reynolds said. "He has built an unsurpassed reputation in collegiate tennis as a result of his relationships with student-athletes, his on-court tennis analysis, and his passion for the game of tennis.
"His infectious personality and ability to connect with players both on and off the court make him a huge asset to our program. Chris knows what Auburn University values both athletically and academically, and we are excited to see what the future holds for Auburn men's tennis."
"I believe that a tennis coach is a tennis coach whatever their gender, and you coach people best by earning their trust and helping them better themselves, but I'm looking forward to the challenge of working in the men's game and working with Bobby, who is somebody who has been where everybody playing college tennis wants to be," Hooshyar said. "He's lived it through his professional career, and I hope his insights and experience will help me continue to grow as a coach.
"Having to prove yourself in a new capacity is exciting, and I'm looking forward to working with a good group of men's players as we build the program. I want to gain experiences to help me become a head coach in the future.
"I'm so proud of our women's program and student-athletes and what contributions I hope I've made there. I want Auburn to be a premier tennis school for men and women, because there's no better place with an environment to help young people grow."
Last season, Hooshyar helped the Tiger women under head coach Lauren Spencer post their third straight season with 20 or more wins, as Hooshyar was selected as ITA Southern Region Assistant Coach of the Year. Auburn made an NCAA tournament appearance in each of his five seasons, with two trips to the NCAA Sweet 16 (2016 and 2017). In 2016, the Tigers set a number of program firsts. Finishing the season 24-8 (9-4 SEC), Auburn set program records for single season wins and single season SEC wins and hosted an NCAA Regional for the first time in school history. As a result of these accomplishments, Hooshyar was named the 2016 National ITA Assistant of the Year.
"Over the last five years, it's been an honor to work with Chris and watch him grow into one of the best collegiate coaches in the country," Auburn women's coach Lauren Spencer said. "I know transitioning into the men's game has been something he's wanted to do and I'm thrilled he can achieve that goal as an Auburn Tiger. His work ethic is second to none and he will help elevate our men's program to a national championship contender. I feel lucky to have had him by my side on the court, but even luckier to call him one of my best friends."
Before coming to Auburn, Hooshyar was a volunteer assistant coach for two seasons (2012-13) at Southern Methodist University, the same school where he played four years as an undergraduate and served two seasons as captain.
From Manchester, England, Hooshyar was ranked as the top player in England throughout the junior process. Trying his hand on the ATP circuits, he made two quarterfinals in the ATP Manchester and Nottingham Challengers and was ranked as high as No. 915 in the world.
Chris and his wife Meagan, who serves as Auburn's director of Olympic recruiting, have a daughter, Charlotte.