Coach takes women’s tennis to the next level
Between assistant coaching stints at Auburn University–Montgomery and Clemson University, Maria “Maru” Brito spent three years with the Tennis Academy at Franco’s Athletic Club in Mandeville, Louisiana. She often would head to New Orleans to watch Caroline Magnusson—who had transferred from Clemson to Tulane—compete in matches.
“I loved it at Tulane,” said Brito, a native of Mexico City who also played for Clemson. “I always thought this would be an amazing place to work. So when the opportunity came up, I went for it.”
With four years of coaching experience at Clemson—where she helped lead the Tigers to 64 wins including a 22-7 campaign in her first year in 2014 and a regular season ACC Championship—she applied for the vacant position of head women’s tennis coach at Tulane.
Tulane Athletic Director Troy Dannen knew he had found the ideal candidate. “Her experience as both a player and coach at the highest level, and her demonstrated commitment to all aspects of an outstanding student-athlete, are tremendous assets for our program,” Dannen said.
Brito joins a program that in the 2016-17 season recorded one of the best turnarounds in all of NCAA Division I, jumping from 8-14 the previous year to a 22-7 record. She described the team as “hungry” to take women’s tennis at Tulane to the next level.
[Click for the 2017-2018 Women's tennis schedule]
Editor's note: This article appeared first in the September 2017 issue of Tulane magazine.
