Paul Wardlaw

Position: Head Coach Experience: Seventh year Alma Mater, Year: College of Wooster (Ohio), 1981

PAUL WARDLAW IS IN HIS seventh season as head coach at Iowa. Wardlaw has compiled a school record of 69-68 (.504).

Wardlaw has brought tough competitiveness and a winning demeanor to the women's tennis program. Through his comprehensive systematic approach to training, tactics, conditioning and psychology, the Hawkeyes have become a well-prepared and formidable opponent. By scheduling some of the strongest competition in the country, the Hawkeyes have developed into a perennial powerhouse, reaching the NCAA Tournament three out of the past five seasons.

Wardlaw once again pitted his team against the nation's top competition during the 2003 season. Of Iowa's 19 opponents, 14 were ranked, including six who finished the season in the top 25. The Hawkeyes compiled an overall record of 7-13 and finished the season ranked 64th. During the 2003 season the Hawkeyes finished 5-6 in the Big Ten, winning against 43rd-ranked Purdue and 47th-ranked Ohio State.

In 2002, Wardlaw guided Iowa to a 9-13 overall record. The Hawkeyes finished fourth in the Big Ten, tying their highest finish in school history. Not only did Iowa perform well on the courts, but the team was academically awarded as an Intercollegiate Tennis Association all-academic team.

Wardlaw also coached current Hawkeye assistant coach Toni Neykova to a career season in 2002. Neykova compiled a 13-8 record and went a personal-best 9-2 versus Big Ten opponents. Neykova became the first woman in Iowa tennis history to compete in the NCAA Singles Tournament and only the second woman in school history to be named all-Big Ten in four consecutive seasons.

In 2001, the Hawkeyes posted a 6-4 mark in Big Ten play and an overall record of 12-10, earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Iowa was led in singles competition by Neykova. The Hawkeyes also displayed excellence in the classroom as they were selected as an Intercollegiate Tennis Association all-academic team.

In 2000, Wardlaw guided the Hawkeyes to a 7-3 record in the Big Ten and their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Iowa dominated its home courts as the Hawkeyes went undefeated in home dual meet competition. For the second straight season, Wardlaw took the team of Shera Wiegler and Neykova to the NCAA Doubles Championships. The duo finished the season ranked 20th by the ITA.

In 1999, Wardlaw guided the Hawkeyes to an unprecedented season with the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance. The Hawkeyes defeated Florida State and Notre Dame, both top 20 teams, to reach the NCAA Championships. Iowa finished the season ranked 25th in the nation.

Wardlaw also coached Iowa's first entrants into the NCAA Doubles Tournament in 1999. Wiegler and Neykova won their first round match against a duo from San Diego State, but lost in the round of 16 to the eventual champions from California who won the tournament for the second consecutive year. The Iowa duo finished the season ranked 19th.

Wardlaw took the reins of a young and struggling tennis program during the fall of 1997 and instantly turned it into a Big Ten contender. In his first season, the Hawkeyes went from an unranked 10th place Big Ten team, to a seventh place finish in the Big Ten and a final ITA ranking of 58.

Wardlaw joined the Hawkeyes after serving as the men's and women's tennis and women's soccer coach at Kenyon College (Ohio) for eight years. Kenyon women's tennis was the top Division III program in the nation and was throughout the 1990s. Wardlaw's teams entered four of the last five national tournaments as the No. 1 seed, winning three NCAA Division III National Championships. The team's consistent performance on the national level was the result of Wardlaw's sound recruiting and a comprehensive system of player and team development.

Wardlaw has received several accolades and is one of the most respected coaches in the country. He was named Wilson/ITA Division III Coach of the Decade and Wilson/ITA Division III Coach of the Year in 1993. Wardlaw has also become an accomplished author with the publication of Pressure Tennis. His book explains the Iowa practices and tactical system in detail. The Wardlaw Directionals - Tactical Guidelines for Singles has been adopted by numerous professional players and top level men's and women's college programs as their tactical base. His video High Percentage Tennis explains the directionals in detail. He has also produced two other videos.

Wardlaw and his wife Katy have two daughters - Alexandra, 13, and Natalie, 10.