Nick Brochu was hired in July, 2007 to take over the most successful men’s tennis program in Sun Belt Conference history.
His first season in charge continued that tradition as he led South Alabama to its second consecutive Sun Belt title, a No. 51 final national ranking and a first-round NCAA Tournament victory over No. 21 Alabama. The win against their in-state rival was the first in Jags’ history.
Through two seasons Brochu has a 27-23 overall record and has four all-conference singles selections and two doubles selections in addition to three singles players and three doubles teams earning national rankings.
His 2008 team featured two All-Sun Belt singles performers (Jack Baker and Marek Sramek) and two doubles teams (Jack Baker/Marek Sramek and Jack Baker/R.J. Nagel).
Baker went on to play at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and the NCAA Indoor Championship. Baker ended the season with a No. 27 national ranking, the highest by a USA player since 2005, and achieved a No. 9 ranking during the season; Sramek finished No. 93. The Baker/Sramek doubles team was ranked as high as No. 8 in the nation during the season and achieved a final ranking of No. 49.
The team finished 16-9 and hit their stride in March and April, winning 13 of 15 matches before dropping a 4-3 decision to No. 14 Florida State in the NCAA Tournament.
Brochu was faced with a rebuilding job in 2009, bringing in four new faces in January and all four of those freshmen were in the starting lineup by season’s end. Sramek and Sergio Ramirez earned all-conference singles honors. Ramirez earned a ranking as high as No. 47, finishing No. 71, and Sramek reached No. 111 during the season.
The duo of Ramirez and Leo Dominguez also cracked the top 75 in the doubles rankings. During the 2009 season, the Jags defeated five teams that achieved a top 75 ranking during the season.
Brochu came to USA after spending five seasons as head coach at Georgia State University. In 2006 the Panthers enjoyed the program’s best season, capturing the Colonial Athletic Association conference championship and finishing the season with a 19-5 record. GSU climbed as high as 33rd nationally during the spring, which was the highest ranking in the school’s history. The 19 wins were also a school record and the Panthers advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
During Brochu’s tenure at Georgia State, the Quebec, Canada native coached one conference player of the year and three conference rookies of the year. Eight of his former players were nationally ranked, including Martin Stiegwardt (72nd) in 2007, and 10 earned first team all-conference honors. In 2007, Stiegwardt also became the first Panther to advance to the NCAA Singles Championships.
Prior to taking over as head coach, Brochu served the Panthers as a volunteer assistant coach during the 2002 spring season and helped guide GSU to the Atlantic Sun Tournament title and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
During his three-year collegiate playing career at GSU, Brochu was a member of three-straight A-Sun Championship teams (1998-2000). Brochu also earned all-conference recognition in 1999 and 2000 and was ranked as high as No. 31 nationally in the NCAA rankings along with doubles partner Karl Lindberg. While at GSU, he was also a member of two NCAA Tournament teams (1999 and 2000). He started his collegiate career at the University of Texas-El Paso.
After graduating from college in 2000, Brochu played professionally on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tour for two years. As a professional, he won Future Events, one satellite series event and competed in Challengers. Brochu also played in a Tennis Master Series and was ranked in the ATP doubles top 500.
Brochu also holds a bachelor degree in finance and a master’s degree in sports administration-marketing that he earned at Georgia State.
