As one of the nation’s premier tennis coaches, Angelo Anastopoulo has helped cultivate the tennis program at the College of Charleston from a Division I newcomer into one of the most well-regarded programs in the nation. The 2023-24 season marked his 33rd as the head coach of the women’s tennis team and his 21st as The College’s Director of Tennis. Anastopoulo also coached the men’s team from 1991 to 2001.
An Era of Success
Over the course of his vaunted career, Anastopoulo has compiled an impressive overall coaching record of 724-322 (.693). His record with the women’s team over the past 29 years is a remarkable 552-243 (.694). He currently ranks 11th all-time among NCAA Division I women's tennis head coaches in career victories (552) and 37th all-time in winning percentage (.694).
On March 5, 2023, Anastopoulo passed former men's basketball coach John Kresse for the most wins (561) at the College of Charleston. He increased the most wins in the record book to 572 wins.
On April 20th, 2018, Anastopoulo claimed his 500th career women's tennis coaching victory, putting him in a class all by himself as the only NCAA Division I women's tennis coach in the state of South Carolina to reach the 500-win milestone. Anastopoulo also amassed a strong 172-79 (.685) overall record with the men's squad between 1991-01. In his 39 combined years of coaching experience, Anastopoulo has achieved winning seasons in all but two of them.
In 2016, the College achieved a 15-11 record in the spring before heading to the CAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed. There, the Cougars swept past the No. 5 seeded UNCW Seahawks 4-0 to set up a date with the No. 1 seed and No. 36 ranked William & Mary Tribe. The top three singles flights for CofC scored victory, highlighted by junior Liza Fieldsend beating two-time CAA Player of the Year and No. 108 ranked Elizaveta Nemchinov. However, the Tribe were able to escape with the narrow 4-3 win. Anastopoulo coached the highly touted Fieldsend to great success, as she achieved a win at the ITA Regionals, played exceedingly well at the prestigious Shape Magazine Invitational, and was named First Team All-CAA and Most Outstanding Player at the CAA Tournament. Coach Anastopoulo also led Katherine Schofield and Mara Argyriou to All-CAA acclaim, with the two making the first team with a 18-6 record, which included a 16 match winning streak during the middle of the year.
In 2015, Anastopoulo led the College to a 14-13 overall record, which included a ten-match winning streak that spilled into the post-season. The Cougars advanced past Drexel and Elon to earn their spot in the CAA Championship game, where they at last fell to William & Mary, just one win away from an NCAA Tournament berth. The 2014-15 campaign was the 15th straight year that the Cougars had achieved a winning record, dating back to the 2000-01 season. Over that period, Anastopoulo had achieved a 298-113 (.725) record. Coach Anastopoulo received CAA Coach of the Year veneration, while the Cougars as a squad earned three All-CAA First Team honors by way of Samantha Maddox (Singles), Katherine Schofield (Doubles) and Jenny Falcone (Doubles).
In 2014, Anastopoulo guided The College to a 18-8 record in their inaugural Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) campaign, including an appearance in the final of the conference championship – where the team feel just short of their sixth consecutive NCAA tournament berth. 2014 marked the eighth consecutive season in which the Cougars have won at least 19 matches – amassing an impressive 172-57 (.751) record over that span, including a 106-23 (.821) record at the Cougars' Patriots Point Tennis Complex. Individually, Anastopoulo earned his landmark 600th win as a head coach on Mar. 20, in a comprehensive 7-0 shutout of Towson. On the court, the Cougars would go on to earn seven all-conference honors, including senior Kelly Kambourelis who was named first team all-CAA singles and second team all-CAA doubles.
In 2013, Anastopoulo led The College to its fifth consecutive Southern Conference Championship title as well as a fifth-straight NCAA Tournament berth. The team’s 20-9 overall record marked the seventh consecutive 20-win season for the Cougars – amassing an impressive 153-49 (.757) record over that span, including a 92-20 (.821) record at the Cougars' Patriots Point Tennis Complex. Individually, Coach Anastopoulo took home his fifth Southern Conference Coach of the Year award, while senior Christin Newman was named Conference Player of the Year.
The 2012 edition of the Cougars women’s tennis team (25-6) captured a Southern Conference Championship title en route to its fourth-straight NCAA Tournament berth. It marked the most victories in a single season (25) in school history. The Cougars also achieved their first-ever undefeated home season (17-0) and were ranked a program-best No. 60 during the season in the ITA national rankings and finished a school-best No. 5 in the Carolina Region.
In 2011, the Cougars returned to the NCAA Tournament after winning the SoCon Tournament title and compiled a 21-8 overall record with their second-straight unbeaten 10-0 mark in league play. Anastopoulo was honored as SoCon Coach of the Year for the fourth time of his career.
The Cougars finished the 2010 season ranked No. 65 nationally in the final Campbell/ITA Team Rankings after compiling a 20-10 overall record and 10-0 league mark. Individually, Holly Dowse and Emma Hayman became the first SoCon doubles team to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Tennis Doubles Championship in Athens, Ga. They were one of 16 automatic qualifiers in the 32-team draw.
In 2009, Anastopoulo guided the Cougars to a 24-5 overall record which marked the most wins in the program's NCAA history to that point. CofC posted a 9-1 SoCon record and a 15-2 mark in home matchups at Patriots Point. The 2009 ITA Southeast Region Coach of the Year and the USPTA Southern Coach of the Year, Anastopoulo led the Cougars to the 2009 Southern Conference Tournament title and its second NCAA Tournament trip. CofC knocked off top-seeded Furman, 4-1, in the conference finals, but lost a hard-fought 4-1 decision at Florida in the NCAA First Round.
2008 represented another strong season for the Cougars, who finished with a 23-4 overall record, 8-1 in the Southern Conference. This marked one of the most successful seasons in the program's history as an NCAA member.
In 2003, Anastopoulo directed the women's squad to the Southern Conference Tournament title and the Cougars' first automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championships. As a result, he was named the SoCon Coach of the Year.
In 2001, Anastopoulo was named Southern Conference Women's Tennis Coach of the Year after guiding the Cougars to the finals of the SoCon Tournament. He also led the team to the conference finals in 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
One of Coach Anastopoulo’s most significant accomplishments at The College occurred in 1996 when his women's team captured the Trans America Athletic Conference championship title for the first time in school history. It marked the first NCAA Division I conference title for a women's team at CofC as he was tabbed 1996 TAAC Coach of the Year.
Academics
Academically, Anastopoulo's squads have been consistently strong in the classroom with a plethora of CofC Honors College student-athletes who have helped the Cougars earn ITA All-Academic Team honors, the highest team grade-point average of all varsity sports teams at CofC and recognition by the NCAA in its annual 2013 Public Recognition Awards for schools ranking in the top 10 percent of all Division I teams in their respective sport. For six straight years under Anastopoulo's watch, the College has earned the NCAA Public Recognition Award, which recognizes teams with an NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate in the top 10% among all squads in their respective sports. During that period, the Cougars have earned ITA All-Academic honors in 24 of the last 26 seasons, including 50 individual academic honors.
Playing Career
Anastopoulo, a Charleston native, was a tennis standout at Middleton High School and The Citadel. He was a nine-time state champion at Middleton, and earned all-conference, all-state and All-American honors.
As The Citadel team captain in 1989, he led the Bulldogs to a school record 22-4 season and a second-place Southern Conference finish. For his efforts, he earned Most Valuable Player honors. While at the Citadel, he was also a national mixed doubles champion. Upon graduation, Anastopoulo played several professional tournaments including qualifying for the Lipton International Players Championship - now renamed the NASDAQ 100 - before becoming a tennis professional at the Charleston Tennis Center, where he coached several South Carolina State Champions.
Anastopoulo is a USTPA P1 certified tennis pro, the highest teaching certification possible.
Family
Hailing from a tennis-oriented family in the Charleston community, his brothers, Arthur and Akim, played at the University of South Carolina and the University of Louisville respectively. Akim is a former tennis head coach at The Citadel. Meanwhile, Anastopoulo's sister, Patti, played on the first College of Charleston women's tennis team from 1974-78. Anastopoulo resides in Charleston with his wife, the former Paula Vallas, and their two sons, Ted and Stratas. Ted is in his second year at Tufts University attending the Fletcher School where he is earning a Master’s Degree in Law and Diplomacy. Stratas is a recent graduate of Newberry College and is a tennis coach at Creekside Tennis Club.
THE ANASTOPOULO FILE
• 2015 Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year
• Five-Time Southern Conference Coach of the Year (2001, 2003, (co) 2010, 2011 and 2013)
• 2009 ITA Southeast Region Coach of the Year
• 2009 USPTA Southern Coach of the Year
• 1996 Trans America Athletic Conference Coach of the Year
• Sixth All-Time NCAA Tournament Appearances (2003, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013)
• 2003, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 Southern Conference Championships
• 1996 TAAC Championship
MEN'S RECORD
1991-92: 18-5 (.783)
1992-93: 17-9 (.654)
1993-94: 22-4 (.846)
1994-95: 19-10 (.655)
1995-96: 19-4 (.826)
1996-97: 17-8 (.680)
1997-98: 14-8 (.636)
1998-99: 17-10 (.630)
1999-00: 13-12 (.520)
2000-01: 16-9 (.640)
Totals: 172-79 (.685)
WOMEN'S RECORD
1991-92: 18-1 (.947)
1992-93: 15-7 (.654)
1993-94: 18-9 (.667)
1994-95: 16-9 (.654)
1995-96: 22-4 (.846)
1996-97: 18-6 (.750)
1997-98: 15-7 (.682)
1998-99: 18-7 (.720)
1999-00: 12-13 (.480)
2000-01: 20-7 (.741)
2001-02: 20-6 (.769)
2002-03: 22-4 (.846) - NCAA First Round
2003-04: 19-8 (.704)
2004-05: 18-6 (.750)
2005-06: 13-12 (.520)
2006-07: 20-7 (.741)
2007-08: 23-4 (.852)
2008-09: 24-5 (.828) - NCAA First Round
2009-10: 20-10 (.667) - NCAA First Round
2010-11: 21-8 (.724) - NCAA First Round
2011-12: 25-6 (.806) - NCAA First Round
2012-13: 20-9 (.689) - NCAA First Round
2013-14: 18-8 (.692)
2014-15: 14-13 (.519)
2015-16: 16-12 (.571)
2016-17: 18-9 (.667)
2017-18: 17-11 (.607)
2018-19: 15-11 (.577)
2019-20: 10-5 (.667)
2020-21: 11-13 (.458)
2021-22: 19-7 (.731)
2022-23: 16-6 (.727)
2023-24: 17-5 (.773)
Totals: 589-256 (.697)
Men's and Women's Combined Record: 760-335 (.694)
* 11th-most victories in NCAA women's tennis history and fifth-most among active coaches. *
