Rodrigo da Silva
Rodrigo da Silva is in his fourth season as assistant coach at the University of Louisville.
Since joining the Cardinals, daSilva has helped guide the team to the most successful seasons in program history. In 2011, he was named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Ohio Valley Region Assistant Coach of the Year after helping to lead the Cards to their second straight BIG EAST Conference title and third consecutive NCAA regional appearance. Louisville was also ranked as high as No. 12 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association team rankings and spent 10 weeks in the top 25.
In 2010, the Cardinals posted a program-best 24-6 record, won the BIG EAST Conference title and advanced to the NCAA round of 16 for the first time in school history. The team enjoyed its highest national ranking at No. 10 and spent the entire season in the top 20 of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings. They closed out the season by earning spots in the NCAA Individual Championships for the fourth consecutive year.
In daSilva's first season at U of L, the 2008-09 Cardinals produced a 21-7 record reaching as high as No. 14 and spent nine weeks among the nation in the top 25. Additionally, the Cards earned spots the NCAA team, singles and doubles championships and placed three singles players and doubles teams in the national rankings. Louisville also registered three All-BIG EAST selections and Austen Childs earned league Player of the Year honors.
The team's success have also brought individual recognition as the Cards placed five players and four doubles teams in the national rankings with Austen Childs reaching as high as number eight in singles in 2011 and the duo of Childs and Simon Childs reaching as high as No. 10 in doubles in 2010. Austen Childs advanced to the finals of the 2010 NCAA Singles championship, earning All-American status along the way.
In 2011, Austen Childs earned his third BIG EAST Player of the Year title and became Louisville's first two-time All-American. He teamed with Viktor Maksimcuk to earn doubles All-American status for the first time in program history.
daSilva joined the Cardinals coaching staff in the fall of 2008, after three seasons as the head men's and women's coach at his alma mater Anderson College. In his three seasons there, da Silva led Anderson to a record of 52-21 overall and 28-0 in Conference Carolinas including three regular season and tournament titles and three NCAA regional appearances.
The Trojans finished the 2008 season ranked at No. 16 in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll. In addition, da Silva coached the ITA Rookie of the Year, Conference Carolina Player of the Year and All-American Philip Pakebusch.
Prior to his stint at Anderson, da Silva was on the staff at the Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Fla., where he coached from 2003-05. His responsibilities at the Academy included head coach of the Bollettieri traveling team and traveling with players to ITF and professional tournaments.
Before joining the Bollettieri staff, da Silva was a tennis professional at the West View Tennis Center in Morgantown, W.Va.
He started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Anderson in '98. While assisting at Anderson, he was the head professional at Anderson's Cardinal Racquet Club from 1997-99. During his tenure at Cardinal, the club was named the SCTA Club of the Year and the '98 Southern Club of the Year.
As a player at Anderson, da Silva was a member of the school's 1997 National Christian College Athletic Association national championship team. da Silva received his bachelor's degree in sports science from Anderson College in 2000 and his master's degree in athletic coaching education from West Virginia University in 2003.
