Photo Above: Coach Giachino Interviewing John McEnroe for NBC Affiliate KY3 TV

BIO:

Undergraduate Degree: Western Michigan 1970

Jim Giachino, who begins his seventh season leading the SMS Bears, has revitalized the SMS women’s tennis program since his arrival in the fall of 1996.

Giachino, the 2001 USPTA Collegiate Coach of the Year, inherited a team that went 0-17 in the spring of 1996, and, although he had to slowly rebuild the program, his teams have steadily improved each season. The rebuilding process paid off in a big way in 2002 as the Bears went 9-0 in the Valley to capture their first regular season title, then won the league's postseason championship to advance to the Bears' first-ever NCAA Championship appearance.

In addition, Giachino’s netters took the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title with a perfect mark of 9-0 and finished tied for third in the MVC Tournament. The Bears also dominated the MVC all-conference team, securing six of the nine positions allotted. SMS continued to excel in the classroom in 2000 with three selections to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team. During Giachino’s four years in Springfield six different players have earned nine Valley academic awards.

Giachino came to SMS from Fairfield University, where he served as women’s tennis coach from 1992-96. In four seasons at Fairfield, Giachino guided the Stags to 41 wins and four straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference titles, including a school-record 12 wins in 1995-96. Under his leadership, Fairfield produced two MAAC Most Valuable Players and four academic all-league selections. In addition, the team posted numerous wins over nationally-ranked opponents from NCAA Divisions I and II.

Prior to his appointment at Fairfield, Giachino served four years as the assistant coach at Yale University and spent 10 years as the head coach at Hamden Hall Country Day School, where his teams posted a 76-20 overall record, making him the school’s all-time winningest coach. The 1995 USPTA Collegiate Coach of the Year in New England, Giachino has been instrumental in organizing numerous professional and amateur tournaments.

During the past 20 years, Giachino has worked with numerous sectionally and nationally-ranked junior and collegiate players. He has also worked with players on the Women’s Tennis Association professional circuit, as well as the National Amateur circuit. Giachino coached WTA players Lynn Rosenstrach, Lee Ann Denley and Liz Barker, who is currently ranked in the WTA.

Giachino earned a bachelor of science degree in English at Western Michigan University in 1970. He also earned a graduate study degree from the University of Massachusetts in 1973 before returning to WMU for a master’s degree in education in 1975. Giachino also received an advanced graduate degree from Monmouth (N.J.) College in 1978