Erica Perkins Jasper Leaves USTA for University of New Mexico Coaching Position; USTA Announces Collegiate Teams

Eric Perkins Jasper, who has spent nearly four years in its Player Development department, is leaving the USTA to take over the women's head coaching position at the University of New Mexico, it was announced today.

Jasper, whose title since 2010 was managing director of junior and collegiate competition, was primarily focused on the college side of tennis, and she has served as tournament director at the USTA/ITA Indoor Intercollegiate Championships since it has been played in New York.

Formerly the head women's coach at Georgia Southern, an assistant women's coach at William and Mary and the women's head coach at Michigan State prior to joining the USTA, Jasper will take over from Roy Cañada, who was 17-49 in three years as the Lobos head coach.

It's difficult to overstate the impact Jasper has had on college tennis since she joined the USTA, with many of the initiatives she helped introduce and implement now major connecting points between the college game and the nation's federation. Those of us who love college tennis are happy she's staying in the game as a coach, but know her formidable communication skills will be missed on the administrative front.

The university announcement, with a more thorough bio, is available here.

One of the USTA's longtime partnerships with college tennis, the collegiate team,  provides coaching and funding for current or recently graduated college players, and today the names of the 2012 team were revealed.

WOMEN:
Mallory Burdette, Stanford (JR, Jackson, Ga.)
Jacqueline Cako, Arizona State (SO, Brier, Wash.)
Beatrice Capra, Duke (FR, Ellicott City, Md.)
Lauren Embree, Florida (JR, Marco Island, Fla.)
Nicole Gibbs, Stanford (SO, Manhattan Beach, Calif.)
Zoe Scandalis, USC (FR, San Diego)
Allie Will, Florida (JR, Boca Raton, Fla.)

MEN:
Chase Buchanan, Ohio State (SR, New Albany, Ohio)
Mitchell Frank, Virginia (FR, Annandale, Va.)
Jarmere Jenkins, Virginia (JR, College Park, Ga.)
Steve Johnson, USC (SR, Orange, Calif.)
Evan King, Michigan (JR, Chicago)
Bradley Klahn, Stanford (SR, Poway, Calif.)
Dennis Nevolo, Illinois (SR, Gurnee, Ill.)
Eric Quigley, Kentucky (SR, Pewee Valley, Ky.)
Ray Sarmiento, USC (SO, Rancho Cucamonga, Cal

In addition to the players named on the men's side, three others will be selected based on their best three results in eight Pro Circuit events this summer.

The two names not included that immediately occurred to me are Robin Anderson of UCLA and Alex Domijan of Virginia, but usually omissions are due to personal circumstances and not any oversight by the USTA.

The coaches for the women are Megan Bradley-Rose, who recently resigned as head coach at Princeton, and Virginia assistant Troy Porco. The coaches for the men are Bo Hodge, assistant at Oklahoma, and Andres Pedroso, associate head coach at Virginia. Ryan Sachire of Notre Dame will assist Hodge and Pedroso.

The complete release can be found at usta.com.

In one other college hiring of note, former William and Mary head coach Kevin Epley has been hired as women's head coach at South Carolina. Arlo Elkins, who coached there 29 years, died in April.