Gaston Promoted to @MizzouTennis Associate Head Coach
6/10/2016 9:37:00 AM | Tennis
After highly successful first season, Gaston promoted for second year at Mizzou
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Tennis Assistant Coach Colt Gaston has been promoted to Associate Head Coach, announced by Head Coach Sasha Schmid on Friday morning, effective June 1. Gaston will return to Mizzou for the 2016-17 season, his second season on the coaching staff after spending the 2014-15 season as an Assistant Coach for Furman men's tennis.
"In just one year at Mizzou, Colt made a tremendous impact on our program. Colt is one of the very best tennis coaches in the nation," said Schmid. "His ability to connect with our team and help each one of them take their tennis games to the next level is invaluable. Even more important than his on-court teaching ability, Colt has outstanding integrity and is a role model and leader for our team members."
Gaston was instrumental in Mizzou's improvement on the tennis courts this year as Mizzou enjoyed its best season in more than a decade. Mizzou posted the fourth-most wins in program history (16), matched the best start in program history (7-0) and won three Southeastern Conference matches, the most since joining the league prior to the 2012-13 season.
For the first time since 2003, Mizzou sent a player to the NCAA Singles Tournament. Junior Bea Machado Santos (Lisbon, Portugal) received an at-large bid to the tournament after a 14-9 mark at the No. 1 position over the dual season, earning Second Team All-SEC honors. Santos also defeated six opponents ranked in the Oracle/ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings this season.
Gaston, originally from Rome, Ga., was a four-year letterwinner at LSU from 2003-08, earned Second-Team All-SEC honors in 2006 and captured ITA Doubles All-American honors in 2007. With teammate Danny Bryan, Gaston ranked as high as No. 3 in the country in the ITA Division I Doubles rankings. Following a successful collegiate career, Gaston played professionally as a member of the Dunlop ATP traveling squad where he was ranked in the top-500 of the ATP Tour.
In 2008, Gaston began his coaching career as a High Performance Coach for Weil Tennis Academy in Ojai, Calif. From 2009-12, Gaston was as a private coach for IMG Tennis Academy and ATP/WTA. Gaston then served as the Head of Tennis for Made Scholarships and Tennis Director at ATI Tennis Academy before joining the Furman men's tennis coaching staff in 2014.
"I feel very fortunate to have Colt as my partner in coaching Mizzou Tennis. He is very deserving of the title of Associate Head Coach," said Schmid. "Colt and I are very excited to keep our team's progress moving forward throughout the upcoming season."
For all the latest on Mizzou Tennis, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook (MizzouTennis), Twitter (@MizzouTennis), and Instagram (@Mizzou_Tennis).
NEWS: @colt_gaston Promoted to @MizzouTennis Associate Head Coach#MIZ
— Mizzou Tennis (@MizzouTennis) June 10, 2016
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