Waves of the Future : Pepperdine Tennis Team Builds on Success

What might look to the casual observer like a mere wrinkle in a string of successful seasons for the Pepperdine men’s tennis team resembles a chasm deeper than Malibu Canyon to Waves Co-Coach Allen Fox.

Pepperdine dipped temporarily last season after the loss of Robbie Weiss, the 1988 NCAA singles champion, Canada’s Andrew Sznadjer, and doubles standout Craig Johnson. The Waves, who had never finished below seventh among NCAA Division I schools in Fox’s 12-year tenure, ended the season 13-13 and 17th in the nation.

It was an enviable finish for many programs, but that was small consolation to Fox.

“Everybody from the players to the coaching staff was disturbed by what happened last year,” he said. “Everybody came back with renewed energy and desire.”

The drop-off proved to be a speed bump, not a brick wall. The team has posted a 21-3 record this season and is ranked fourth in the nation.

“We’ve got a lot of tough players that are winning very close matches,” Fox said. “Our work has just been harder this year.”

If tension exists, it isn’t readily apparent. Fox and Co-Coach Richard Gallien wander calmly from court to court during matches, occasionally offering a player advice during a set break. Their placid demeanor coincides with their peaceful, sun-drenched surroundings. Unlike many coaches, the two refrain from wringing hands and barking instructions.

“Our nature is not to be yellers and screamers,” Gallien said. “I think the players appreciate that. We don’t do it with a whip.”

That is not to say the two won’t lower the boom if a situation warrants it. Lou Addesso, a sophomore from New York City, was asked to leave the team recently because, Fox said, he wasn’t making an effort to improve.

Offsetting the co-coaches’ easygoing attitude is that of assistant Pat Puccinelli, an ex-pro on the European and American circuits nicknamed “The Enforcer” by Gallien. Fox insists Puccinelli is occasionally stern but mild compared to those who take a jugular-bulging approach to coaching.

“Pat would be more normal, so to speak,” Fox said. “Not what you’d call a disciplinarian. Rich and I slant to one side, Pat’s more down the middle.”

Although he was hired on a temporary basis in the winter, Puccinelli will probably be promoted to full-time status soon, Gallien said.

“He’s been a gigantic help,” said Gallien, a former All-American at Pepperdine promoted from assistant to co-coach in 1988. “His overall enthusiasm has given everyone a shot in the arm.”

Because of his experience coaching top-ranked juniors, Puccinelli has also been an invaluable boon to recruiting efforts.

The dividends are already paying off: Ari Nathan, a senior at Brentwood High, has opted to attend Pepperdine instead of UCLA--he was offered partial tennis scholarships from both schools--in the fall. Nathan, who was ranked fourth in Southern California last year by the Southern California Tennis Assn., said Puccinelli, his private coach, played a role in the decision.

The affable Fox and Gallien closed the deal.

“I don’t think the players feel a definite need to win, and I don’t think they feel threatened when Allen or Rich walks on the court,” Nathan said. “It seems like everybody matters. It’s not only the top two or three guys on the team.”

Others, too, are scheduled to arrive via the Puccinelli pipeline. Most notable of the new recruits is Cary Lothringer of San Antonio, Tex., who was ranked 15th in the country last year in the U.S. Tennis Assn.’s 18-and-under division.

Landing Lothringer was a minor coup, considering that until recently he had no plans to play on the West Coast.

“If the tennis was the same in Texas, I didn’t feel like I should go out of state,” Lothringer said, adding that the presence of Puccinelli played a role in his decision to accept the Waves’ scholarship offer. “I’ve known him for the past four or five years, and that made a big difference.”

After surveying area talent earlier this year while playing at the Adidas Invitational tournament in Indian Wells, Lothringer was sold.

“I truly thought that my game could go further out in California,” he said.

That conclusion was reached by several team members, as well. In fact, the program has gained international appeal: Marc Le Clair is from Montreal, Howard Joffe is from South Africa, Christophe Van de Weghe is from Belgium, Tomer Zimmerman is from Israel, and Alejo Mancisidor, the Waves’ No. 2 singles player, won the 16-and-under Spanish national championship.

The Pepperdine coaching staff has specialized in helping its players grow to meet their potential. Often that entails plucking a less-sought-after recruit and molding him during his college years.

“The easiest way to do recruiting is to go down the list one, two, three, four, and knock off as many good ones as you can,” Gallien said. “Our particular success has been getting the type of player that you can develop.”

That is not to say the Waves would turn up their collective nose at a gem. Recruiting is extremely difficult, however, because Pepperdine must compete for players with perennial California tennis powerhouses such as USC and UCLA.

Stanford is a particularly troublesome recruiting foe.

“If it’s a choice between Stanford and anyone, more often than not they would choose Stanford,” Gallien said. “The fact is, they do the best job. Their academics are fabulous. Their coach does a great job, from A to Z.”

Fox, a former NCAA singles champion, is regarded as somewhat of a deity among the tennis elite. To Gallien’s chagrin, however, Fox has never been named NCAA Coach of the Year.

“That’s like if you looked back in a record book and it said Sandy Koufax never won the Cy Young Award and that Tommy Lasorda won it twice,” Gallien said. “It doesn’t make sense. (Fox) really is the best teacher in the country.”

Predictably, under Fox, Pepperdine has flourished, posting a 258-81 record. Although the Waves have never won an NCAA championship, they were runners-up in 1982 and 1986.

Enthusiasm surrounding the team’s success has prompted the school to funnel money into the tennis program. A project is under way to add more courts and, ultimately, build a new clubhouse.

“We’re not under a gigantic football program where everyone is overshadowed,” Gallien said. “There really are no minor sports at Pepperdine.”