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Danielle McNamara is in her fourth season as head coach of the Yale University women’s tennis program. McNamara has a wealth of experience, having achieved great success as a collegiate player, touring professional, private instructor, assistant and head college coach.
McNamara has made a significant impact since arriving in New Haven, compiling an overall record of 35-22 and an impressive 18-3 record in the Ivy League over the last three years. A native of Massachusetts, McNamara joined the Yale coaching staff as an assistant in 2005 and was hired as the head coach in the summer of 2006.
In her first year at the helm of the program, the Bulldogs finished second in the Ivy League with a 6-1 conference record. It was the 2007-2008 season where the program made its first big jump under McNamara’s leadership. She guided the Bulldogs to an undefeated Ivy League season and an Ivy League Championship in 2008, which was the team’s first since 1989. Also in 2008, McNamara led the Bulldogs to their first ever NCAA Team Tournament appearance in program history. Yale’s national ranking has climbed as high as #41 during McNamara’s tenure and the Bulldog’ ;s have been regionally ranked as high as #6 in the Northeast region.
The 2008-2009 campaign was Yale’s most successful on a national level with the team reaching a national ranking high of #41 and finishing the year at #50. The Bulldogs finished the season 14-6 overall and 5-2 in the Ivy League, tying for 3rd place.
McNamara has shown a tremendous ability to recruit the best and the brightest players on a national level. Over the last four years, she has recruited two blue chip and six 5-star players according to the tennisrecruiting.net rankings. Her most recent recruiting class was ranked #14 in the country. Two of her recruited players have competed in junior Grand Slams prior to coming to Yale (Wimbledon, US Open).
As a student-athlete at the University of Michigan from 1996-2000, McNamara was an All-Big Ten player and the Big Ten Sportswoman of the Year. an> She ranks 6th in career wins at Michigan, with an overall record of 79-54. McNamara was nationally ranked as high as #8 in doubles and #27 in singles and was the first player in Michigan history to participate in all three college national championships (All-American, National Indoors and the NCAA Championships). She was a two-time Captain of the squad and earned the Michigan Athletic Department’s Academic Achievement Award and the Donald R. Shepherd endowed scholarship for athletic and academic success. As a freshman at Michigan, McNamara helped lead the team to its first ever Big Ten Championship in 1997 and a program high national ranking of #16.
Among her other accomplishments, McNamara won one gold and one bronze ball in national USTA events. She was also selected to coach the USTA Girl’s 18 New England national team at the National Team Championships in 2008 and 2009.
McNamara is a current member of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Board of Directors, the governing body of college tennis. She was the co-chair of the 2009 ITA National Indoor Championships tournament committee and the chair of the 2009 ITA Northeast Regionals tournament committee.
THE DANIELLE McNAMARA FILE
Born: November 10,
1978
Hometown:
Leominster, Massachusetts
High
School: Leominster High School
College:
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) 2001
Bachelor’s
Degrees: Economics, Organizational Studies
Family:
Married, husband Christian
Collegiate Coaching Experience: Yale University (Head Coach),
2006-present. Yale
University (Assistant Coach), 2005-06. Boston University (Volunteer
Coach) 2004-05.
University of Michigan (Assistant Coach) 2001-02.
Professional Playing Experience: WTA Tour, 2002-2005
Collegiate Playing Experience: University of Michigan (1996-2000)
Collegiate Coaching Highlights:
- Coached Yale to an Ivy League Championship and perfect 7-0 conference season (2008)
- Coached Yale to 1st NCAA Team Tournament appearance in school history (2008)
- ECAC Team Champions (2009)
- Coached 8 All-Ivy Singles Players and 5 All-Ivy Doubles Teams
- Coached one Ivy League Player of the Year (2008)
- Coached 3 Academic All-Ivy players
- Coached two ITA All-Academic teams at Yale (2008,2009)
Collegiate Playing Highlights:
- All Big Ten Player
- Big Ten Sportswoman of the Year (2000)
- Two time team Captain (1998-2000)
- Ranked 6th in career wins at the University of Michigan
- Nationally ranked as high as #28 in singles and #8 in doubles
- 1st player in Michigan history to play in all three national championships (All-American, National Indoors, NCAA Championships)
- Member of Michigan’s first Big Ten Championship team (1997)
|
Seasons |
School |
Overall |
League |
Pct. |
Conference |
NCAA Championship |
|
2006-2007 |
Yale |
10-8 |
6-1 |
.555 |
2nd |
|
|
2007-2008 |
Yale |
11-8 |
7-0 |
.579 |
1st |
NCAA First Round |
|
2008-2009 |
Yale |
14-6 |
5-2 |
.700 |
t-3rd |
|
|
Totals |
|
35-22 |
18-3 |
.611 |
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A 2007 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Thompson played collegiate and professional tennis. During her four years at Notre Dame, she earned the No. 1 doubles ranking in the nation in both 2005 and 2006. Thompson and her doubles partner and twin sister Catrina Thompson were named NCAA All-Americans for doubles in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Thompson’s doubles team won the Riviera/ITA All-America Championships in 2005 and placed second in the event in 2004 and 2006.
During her professional career, Thompson won a prize-money tournament in Ojai, Calif. in May 2009. She achieved WTA world rankings as high at 936 for singles and 437 for doubles. In the summer of 2008, Thompson won two $10,000 pro doubles tournaments in Tampico, Mexico and Houston, Tex. She also won two $10,000 pro doubles events in St. Joseph, Mo. And Witchita, Kans. In the summer of 2006.
A native of Las Vegas, Nev., Thompson was inducted into the Nevada Tennis Hall of Fame in 2008 along with Andre Agassi’s father and first coach Mike Agassi.
Career Highlights
PRE-COLLEGE:
As a junior won national doubles titles on every surface-grass,
hard, and clay courts.
COLLEGE
• Ranked #1 Doubles Team in the Nation (2005, 2006)
• NCAA All-American for Doubles (2005, 2006, 2007)
• Riviera/ITA All-American Championships Doubles Runner-Up
(2004, 2006)
• Riviera/ITA All-American Championships Doubles Champion
(2005)
• Five-Time BIG EAST All-Tournament Team (Singles and Doubles
2004, 2005, 2007)
• BIG EAST Academic All-Star (2004)
• NCAA
Doubles Quarterfinalist
(2007)
PROFESSIONAL
• Won prize-money tournament in Ojai, CA (May 2009)
• WTA world rankings have been as high as 936th in singles
and 437th in doubles
• Won two $10,000 pro doubles events in St. Joseph, MO and
Witchita, KS (Summer 2006)
• Won two $10,000 pro doubles tournament in Tampico, MX and
Houston, TX (Summer 2008)
• Inducted into the Nevada Tennis Hall of Fame
(2008)…along with Mike Agassi
