Ruth Seaborne - Tennis Coach - University of Massachusetts Athletics

Ruth Seaborne

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
rseaborne@umass.edu

University of Massachusetts tennis head coach Juancarlos Nunez announced the hiring of Ruth Seaborne as an assistant coach on Thurs., Sept. 21, 2017. Seaborne joined the Minutewomen after she spent time on the staffs at Iowa, her alma mater, and Utah State.

“I'm excited and grateful for the opportunity to work with JC (Juancarlos Nunez) and UMass tennis,” Seaborne said. “I believe in what he's building at UMass and I look forward to helping our student-athletes succeed on and off the court.”

The 2018-19 season marked one of the most successful in the history of the UMass tennis program as the squad finished 18-5 overall and 5-1 in the Atlantic 10. The 18 victories and the .783 win percentage marked the second-most wins and the second-highest win percentage in the 43-year history of the program. The squad had not accomplished more than 18 victories since the 2000-01 season (20) and had not posted at least a .783 win percentage since 1995-96 (.789; 15-4 overall).

The Minutewomen were lauded individually and collectively for their successes on and off the court throughout 2018-19.

Then-junior Janja Kovacevic took home her second career Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team accolade following completion of the season while newcomer Jodie Lawrence-Taylor won the 2018-19 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and joined Kovacevic on the first team. Senior Ruth Crawford collected her third-ever Atlantic 10 All-Conference nod with a spot on the second team.

Off the courts, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) bestowed the program its Community Service Award in recognition of the entire team's civic efforts in the Northeast while nine members of the team won Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll for their work in the classroom.

Seaborne helped Nunez and Massachusetts tennis appear in the Atlantic 10 Championship Match for the third time in the last four seasons during her first year coaching at the Mullins Center Courts.

With Seaborne's assistance, the Maroon and White claimed a pair of upsets in the A-10 Championship with victories over No. 3 Davidson in the quarterfinals and No. 2 George Washington in the semifinal round for the return to the title match. The season also included a strong showing at home, with a 4-1 overall mark, and the program's first-ever win over an Ivy League opponent, Yale.

Prior to her arrival in Western Massachusetts, Seaborne spent the 2016-17 school year as a volunteer assistant women’s tennis coach at Iowa. In her role, she worked on the daily management of the program, including with head and assistant coaches to plan and lead drills and practices. Simultaneously, she assisted with travel and supervision of the team to away dual matches. The Hawkeyes put forth a 16-9 overall record during her campaign, which included Big Ten victories over Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin.

"Ruth brings a wealth of experience as a player and a coach at the highest level of Division I,” Nunez said. “Her knowledge, passion for tennis and commitment to the student-athlete experience will add to the continued growth of our program. I am excited to work alongside Ruth and for the future of UMass tennis."

Prior to her campaign as a volunteer assistant at Iowa, Seaborne served as an assistant coach for Utah State women’s tennis. She worked daily with the team’s student-athletes on and off the court while delved into national and international recruiting. Seaborne was also responsible for the team’s match scheduling and managed Utah State women’s tennis’ player and team equipment.

Seaborne graduated for the University of Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in May, 2015 following two seasons as a standout for the Hawkeyes. She was an All-Big Ten First Team honoree and team MVP in 2013 and 2014

Seaborne transferred to Iowa following two seasons at Florida State University in 2011 and 2012. During her time with the Seminoles, Seaborne helped the squad reach the NCAA Tournament twice, while she helped FSU reach the school’s first-ever ACC Final in 2011. She was ranked nationally during all four years as a student-athlete at Florida State (2011-12) and Iowa (2013-14), and reached as high as No. 28 in doubles and No. 54 in singles.

Seaborne, a native of London, England, was a two-time Junior British National Champion at doubles (2010, 2011). She was also the Junior British National Champion in singles during 2011, when Seaborne qualified for and reached the round of 32 in the Wimbledon Junior Championships.

Ruth Seaborne's Year-By-Year Competitive & Coaching Results
Year	School	Position	W-L	Postseason Notes
2010-11	Florida State	Student-Athlete	16-9	ACC Championship Finalists NCAA Championship Second Round
2011-12	Florida State	Student-Athlete	13-11	ACC Championship Quarterfinalists NCAA Championship First Round
2012-13	Iowa	Student-Athlete	11-13	Big Ten Quarterfinalists
2013-14	Iowa	Student-Athlete	11-13	Big Ten Quarterfinalists
2014-15	Iowa	Student Assistant Coach	8-13	-
2015-16	Utah State	Assistant Coach	11-13	Mountain West Championship Quarterfinals
2016-17	Iowa	Volunteer Assistant Coach	16-9	Big Ten Championship First Round
2017-18	Massachusetts	Assistant Coach	13-7	Atlantic 10 Championship Finalists