York Strother returned to UC Riverside, his alma mater, to take over the men's tennis program in the summer of 2001.
Named the 2007 Big West Co-Coach of the Year, Strother has coached 13 All-Conference award winners and one UCR Male Student Athlete of the Year while with the blue and gold. His 2007 squad established a Division I-era record winning 10 dual matches.
Prior to his arrival at UCR, Strother coached the women's team at the University of Texas, El Paso from 1993-2001, and in his tenure, transformed the program into one that achieved national recognition. In his nine seasons, he posted a career record of 97-125 and earned national rankings in each of his final seven seasons.
Strother Year-by-Year Record as Head Coach
|
Year
|
School |
Women
|
Men |
|
1992 |
UNLV |
18 |
5 |
|
|
xx |
|
1993 |
UTEP |
5 |
17 |
|
|
|
|
1994 |
UTEP |
6 |
17 |
|
|
|
|
1995 |
UTEP |
17 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
1996 |
UTEP |
4 |
17 |
|
|
|
|
1997 |
UTEP |
10 |
14 |
|
|
|
|
1998 |
UTEP |
11 |
13 |
|
|
|
|
1999 |
UTEP |
12 |
9 |
|
|
|
|
2000 |
UTEP |
5 |
14 |
|
|
|
|
2001 |
UTEP |
9 |
11 |
|
|
|
|
2002 |
UC Riverside |
|
|
2 |
19 |
|
|
2003 |
UC Riverside |
|
|
4 |
16 |
|
|
2004 |
UC Riverside |
|
|
1 |
20 |
|
|
2005 |
UC Riverside |
|
|
7 |
16 |
|
|
2006 |
UC Riverside |
|
|
9 |
12 |
|
|
2007 |
UC Riverside |
|
|
10 |
12 |
|
|
2008 |
UC Riverside |
|
|
7 |
14 |
|
|
2009 |
UC Riverside |
|
|
5 |
18 |
|
|
2010 |
UC Riverside |
|
|
3 |
17 |
|
|
2011 |
UC Riverside |
|
|
3 |
19 |
|
|
x |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Men's |
|
51-163 |
|
Women's |
97-125 |
|
Combined
|
148-288 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In the 1994-95 season, Strother guided UTEP to its first national ranking, and also had the program's first-ever nationally ranked player in Andrea Petrovic. In 1997-98, UTEP finished the year nationally ranked for the first time, as well as ranked in the top 10 regionally. On March 23, 1999, UTEP reached its highest national ranking under Strother, peaking at #46. In nine years at UTEP, Strother produced 11 All WAC honorees, 19 All WAC Academic honorees, one Southwest Region "Player to Watch", one NCAA participant, one Academic All American, and one NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship national finalist.
Strother began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant for both the men's and women's teams at UNLV. In 1991, he was named women's head coach and compiled an 18-5 (.783) mark, the highest single-season winning percentage in Rebel women's tennis history.
Before joining UNLV, Strother was the assistant coach for the men's tennis team at UCR from 1985-88. While at UC Riverside, the program went from No. 18 to No. 5 in the NCAA division II national rankings, boasted four All-Americans, and its first-ever bid to the NCAA Team Championships.
From 1984-85, Strother was the head coach at Reicher Catholic High School, in Waco, Texas where he led the boys' team to its first TCIL State Championship, and the girl's team to a second-place finish.
Strother served as the United States Tennis Association (USTA) area training center coach from 1988-92, in Las Vegas. He performed the same role in El Paso from 1992-2000. He was a USTA Clinician in 1996. Strother served on the ITA Southwest Region Operating Committee, and the NCAA Southwest Region Committee. He has also served as the 1996 USTA Southwest Section 16 Zonal coach, and in 1997 and 1999 as the USTA Southwest Section G18 Jar. Fed Cup coach.
Strother earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from UC Riverside after finishing his collegiate career at Baylor. In his free time he enjoys hiking, running, tennis, listening to blues and jazz. He and his wife, Veronica O'Brien, UCR's women's soccer coach, reside in Murrieta.
