HONOLULU – University of Hawai'i men's tennis coach John Nelson was named the 2010 United States Professional Tennis Association Hawai'i Division College Coach of the Year. Nelson, who enters his eighth season at UH, garnered the award for the second straight year after leading the Rainbow Warriors to another stellar campaign last year.

 

The Rainbow Warriors won both the Western Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles last year under Nelson's guidance. UH edged host Fresno State for its third straight WAC Tournament title and subsequent NCAA Tournament bid. Four Rainbow Warriors earned all-WAC honors and Nelson was named WAC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. UH concluded the season ranked 35th in the final ITA Men's Division I rankings, the highest final ranking ever for UH. 

 

With previous stops at Cal State Hayward, UC Davis and San Diego State, Nelson is a former Division II national coach of the year, a seven-time regional coach of the year and 11-time conference coach of the year, including the 2008 WAC honoree after leading UH to the conference title and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance.

 

Founded in 1927, USPTA is the world's oldest and largest association of tennis-teaching professionals with more than 15,000 members worldwide.