University of Louisville head women's tennis coach, Mark Beckham, has been named the 2008 Coach of the Year by the USTA Kentucky Awards Committee.

Last year, in his first year to helm the Cardinal women's tennis team, he led them to a 16-8 record, their highest national ranking in school history and their first NCAA appearance.

The Louisville native and former Cardinal, who was an assistant coach, primarily for the men's team, at U of L for the past 13 years, took the over as women's head coach for the 2007-08 season.

Beckham brought with him a wealth of experience as a player and a coach. Beckham, a four-year letterwinner at U of L, finished his playing career in 1992. He continued his association with the Cardinal program by signing on as a part-time assistant coach in the fall of 1992.

A Louisville native and former high school All-American at Eastern High School, Beckham was ranked second in the state of Kentucky in singles as a junior. He began playing tennis in Louisville's Chickasaw Park program under the oversight of Arthur Johnson, who is in the Kentucky Tennis Hall of Fame. Beckham completed his degree in middle school education at U of L in the spring of 1994. He has served as the assistant tennis pro at the Louisville Country Club.

In 1997, Beckham played No. 1 doubles on Team Kentucky, which qualified for the National Adult Tennis Championships.

Mark and his wife, Christina have a son, Ashton and a daughter Alaina.