Clancy Shields began his tenure as head men's tennis coach at Arizona on Wednesday and ArizonaWildcats.com had a chance to sit down with the reigning Mountain West Coach of the Year.
Q: What made you want to come to Arizona?
A: “Obviously being in a power five conference is something that distinguishes itself from a lot of schools. The brand Arizona, nationally is very strong, everyone knows the program. The kids you're recruiting know the program and I really believe that the tennis program is a sleeping giant and I am here to wake it up.”
Q: What are you most excited about?
A: “Getting to know the student-athletes and getting to know all the different types of kids. I did that at my last school, with recreating a team that you spend a lot of time with and got them to come to school and developed them as players. I am excited to get to work with the student-athletes and start a new journey with them.”
Q: What is unique about your coaching style?
A: “I think the guys will realize that I am very competitive in anything I do. Whether it is tennis, lifting, football or whatever we end up doing as a team together. I like to play with the guys, practice with the guys, I like to lift with the team and I like to be really hands on. They'll start noticing the competitiveness come out in all of those things. I think that is unique. Also, understanding that it wasn't too long ago that I was a student-athlete doing the same things they are doing and going through the same rigors of being a college athlete. I am excited to get in here and get to work. I think the unique thing they will find out is that the competitiveness is a different level. It will take some adjusting.”
Q: What is your favorite part about being a coach?
A: “Being with the kids. I got my degree in education and I taught for almost a year in the schools and really, with too many kids you do not feel like you are having an impact on them. You have 10 kids on your roster for four years, you really make a big impact with these kids. Not only just teaching them to be successful on the tennis court, but all of those things that go into being a successful tennis player, will make you a successful person in life and I feel really good when I send my student-athletes out from our program and knowing that they are going to be really successful and contributing members to society. The day to day interaction and having that relationship with the kids is my favorite part. “
Q: What can fans expect to see this coming season?
A: “We want fans to understand, it is not Wimbledon, it is not a golf tournament, its not golf clapping. It is intense and we want it to be loud. We want people to get into it. We want our fans to get to know our student-athletes on a more intimate level so that they are invested. I think just from our coaching style, we try to get our kids to compete at a really high level. I think it is fun watching anyone who is trying really hard and who is emotionally invested and passionate about their play and I think that will hook fans right away. Also, the format is shortening up. The matches are two, two and a half hours rather than the four or five hours we have seen. I think it is a really good time for college tennis and an exciting time. At the same time, we want to meet people from the community and different people on campus so they come out and see what we are all about.
Q: Who is your biggest inspiration?
A: “My brother. He is two years older than me. He is the head coach at Fresno State and he has been my mentor my whole life. We never had a tennis coach growing up, we kind of just coached each other. He has always been a little bit better than me at everything I have done and led the way in a lot of things. I really look up to him, he is a super mentor of mine. I wouldn't be doing this profession if it wasn't for him and being able to talk with someone everyday about the job and life in general. He is definitely my biggest mentor.
Q: What has been your biggest accomplishment?
A: “I never think of it in that way, you kind of hit certain things that you set goals for. You hit it and you kind of smile and you get excited about. I never looked at things as I have made an accomplishment or done this and that. I have done certain things in my career that I am proud of. I think that is the thing, my greatest accomplishment is that I am still coaching. I am still loving the journey. This isn't a job for me, it is a passion and I think that it is the fact that I still love every day of it. I love college tennis and that's an accomplishment, saying I love what I do everyday.”
Q: What is your favorite tennis memory?
A: “Senior year of college, I was the only returning starter on our team and we ended up making the round of 16 at Boise State. The feeling of once it happened and knowing that all of the hard work you put in was worth it, I think that was a proud accomplishment for our team and something. I was really proud as the captain.”
Q: What is your philosophy on recruiting?
A: “I think people say, 'what is the selling pitch for you now that you're at Arizona and what has it been in the past?' You can already feel the family atmosphere in the program. You can sense the blue-collar mentality, kids work hard here. They kind of play with a chip on their shoulder. I think the things that we are going to talk about when we are recruiting kids are finding the right people who want to play for Arizona and finding the kids who want to work hard and who want to take this program to the next level. There is rich history here and I am excited to get these kids out on the court and continue on the success they have had, and go back to where we were making the NCAA tournament every year and looking to be a top-20 program.”
