Tennis Coach Weiss Voted Into Hall of Fame

There are many different kinds of coaches, but as special place is reserved for that special breed of coach — the former player, the coaches who know what they are talking about because once upon a time, they were out there sweating on the same courts, performing the same drills and overcoming the same challenges. Rob Weiss, the Carl H. Meinig ’31 head coach of the women’s tennis team, is such a coach, and next month, he will be recognized for his legacy on the court when he is inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame on Wednesday, May 21 in Tulsa Okla. The ceremony will take place in conjunction with the men’s and women’s tennis team and individual championships. [1]Wonderful Weiss: Women’s head coach Rob Weiss will be inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame on May 21, for his accomplishents as a player at Pepperdine University in California, as well as his professional career.

Weiss was the NCAA singles champion as a senior at Pepperdine in 1988, the year he was ranked No. 1 in the country by the International Tennis Associations (ITA). He was also a two-time All-American, with a 55-2 singles record.

Weiss said that he was honored by the Hall of Fame’s decision. “It is fairly nostalgic to go back and remember my time playing in college; it almost feels like a different time,” Weiss said. “I am very honored and proud to be included in the Hall of Fame this year. There are so many good players that have not been inducted yet.”

After his No. 1 collegiate ranking, Weiss took his degree in English literature and joined the professional circuit. He was ranked as high as No. 85 is the world, and defeated such acclaimed competitors as Boris Becker, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg and Patrick Rafter — all former No.1 ranked players. Weiss defeated Edberg when the Swede was ranked No. 2 in the world. He also won a tournament in San Paulo, Brazil after defeating Peruvian top-20 player Jaime Yzaga in the finals.

“I never thought I would be inducted into the Hall of Fame when I was playing,” Weiss said, “I was just playing to have fun and looked to turn professional after my senior year.”

Weiss will be inducted in front of his brother and sister, as well as his former coaches from Pepperdine and his home town of Chicago, who are flying down for the ceremony. Weiss became the women’s head coach in August, 2007, and has a 9-7 overall record with the Red.