Michael McGrath
Michael McGrath, one of the longest-tenured veterans of the Augusta State Athletics Department, is in his 15th season as the head coach of the Jaguar Women’s and Men’s Tennis programs.
With McGrath at the helm, ASU Tennis has enjoyed unprecedented success and in recent years, reached new heights.
In May, 2012, the Jaguars advanced out of the Southeast Regional to the NCAA Championships for the first time in the program’s history. After arriving in Louisville, Ky., the Jags were far from done, winning a pair of matches to reach the Final Four for the first time in program history.
With its postseason appearance, the ASU men’s squad made its 11th NCAA trip all-time, its ninth in the last 13 seasons and its seventh in the last eight years -- all under McGrath. The Jags were ranked as high as No. 12 in the nation and set a new school record for most wins in a season (19).
Senior Bernardo Ferndandes earned All-America honors, the second player in school history to earn the national nod. He tallied a 15-8 mark – all at No. 1 singles – and went 3-3 vs. nationally-ranked opponents and was ranked as high as No. 30 in the nation in singles and No. 20 in doubles.
In 2012, the Lady Jags qualified for the NCAA Regionals for the eighth time in the last 13 seasons and enjoyed an even more successful season away from the court, posting the top average GPA (3.60) of any of ASU’s 11 athletic teams.
In fact, the Lady Jags have enjoyed winning seasons in eight of the last 10 years, advancing to the NCAA Tournament in 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. They posted the winningest season in school history in 2008, going 17-8 and earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament’s Mid-Atlantic Regional in Savannah, Ga.
The men’s program has enjoyed winning seasons in eight of the last nine seasons, including a then-school record 17-7 mark in 2007. At the end of the 2008 season, Sergio Mullor was named an All-American, the first in the history of the ASU Tennis program.
A native of Charleston, S.C., McGrath earned his undergraduate degree in Sports Management from Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C., in 1995.
While at Belmont Abbey, McGrath played in the number one and number two singles positions, as well as the number one doubles slot. McGrath was a four-year letterwinner in tennis under the direction of head coach Mike Reidy at Belmont Abbey.
