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As one of Cal tennis' most successful players, Amanda Augustus returns to her alma mater, named head women's tennis coach at the University of California on July 20, 2007. Augustus, who most recently was the head coach at Michigan, succeeds her college coach Jan Brogan, who announced her retirement, after 29 years at the helm.
"I'm absolutely thrilled to have Amanda Augustus coming home to lead the Cal Bears Women's Tennis program," said Cal Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour. "Amanda has had phenomenal success at every juncture in both her playing and coaching career. I am confident that the leadership, determination and tenacity that she exhibited on the court as a Bear, will be instilled in her future Cal squads. There's no doubt that she understands what it takes to succeed at the highest level in both the classroom and the court at the University of California. She has been mentored by Jan Brogan and Bitsy Ritt - two of the finest names in tennis. Collectively, those experiences will serve her well at Cal."
A four-time All-American at Cal from 1996-99, Augustus played professionally on the Women's Tennis Association tour for several years before turning her efforts to coaching. The Manhattan Beach, Calif. native served as head men's and women's tennis coach at Whittier College from 2004-05 and was an assistant at Michigan in 2005-06, before being elevated to the head position prior to last season.
While overseeing the Wolverine program in 2006-07, Augustus guided the team to a 17-8 overall record. Michigan placed second at the Big Ten team championships and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament, completing its season with a No. 22 national ranking.
"I'm deeply honored to be selected for such a prestigious position at my alma mater," said Augustus. "I want to thank Sandy Barbour and the selection committee for giving me the opportunity to build on the legacy that Jan Brogan left behind. I am excited to carry on the program's great tradition and continue to strive for excellence through diversity. I look forward to guiding the young women towards achieving both their athletic and academic goals."
As a player for the Bears, Augustus earned All-Pac-10 honors each of her four years, including first-team recognition as a sophomore, junior and senior. She teamed with Amy Jensen to capture the NCAA doubles titles in both 1998 and 1999 to become the first tandem ever to win back-to-back championships. In addition, Augustus and Francesca La'o were NCAA doubles quarterfinalists in 1996.
Augustus also earned an invitation to play in the NCAA singles tournament each of her four years at Cal, reaching the quarterfinals as a junior in 1998. During her career, she was ranked as high as fourth nationally in singles.
As a senior, Augustus received the Cissy Leary Sportsmanship Award for the ITA Northwest Region, as well as the Gladys Heldman Award for her outstanding combination of athletics and academics. In 1998, she was the Daily Californian's Female Athlete of the Year.
After graduating with her degree in economics and a minor in business administration, Augustus turned her attention to the WTA tour and successfully earned invitations to the main draw of all four Grand Slam events - Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open. She achieved world rankings of No. 82 in doubles and No. 304 in singles, and won 20 professional tournaments.
Following her season as the head women's and men's coach at Whittier College, Augustus became an assistant at Michigan and helped guide the team to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2006. She was named head coach for 2006-07, replacing long-time coach Bitsy Ritt, who retired from the profession to become an Associate Athletic Director at Michigan. Augustus resides in Emeryville, Calif.
