Tennis Coaching Staff
Head Coach Mac Gifford
Robert "Mac" Gifford is in his seventh season as the head coach at Syracuse. In 2004-05, he led the Orange to a second place finish in the BIG EAST Tournament. He was honored as BIG EAST Coach of the Year in 2005. In 2003, Gifford guided Masha Kabanova and Shervin Saedinia into the top 10 in the 100-win club at SU. In his first three seasons, Gifford has coached six players into the Century Club. Gifford proved a capable mentor in his first season at the helm, 1999-2000. He guided the Orange to a 16-6 record and a third-place finish at the BIG EAST Championship. Gifford mentored three Orange student-athletes to their 100th career victories. Anna Khvalina, Shareen Lai and Michelle Neveklovska became the 18th, 19th and 20th players to join the Century Club during the 1999-2000 season. Gifford served as an assistant coach at Syracuse for five seasons prior to his promotion. He also served as interim head coach at Syracuse in 1997. A graduate of Nottingham High School in Syracuse, Gifford earned a degree in anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley in 1973. While at Cal-Berkeley, he competed in tennis for three years, primarily playing as a doubles specialist on a team that was ranked in the top 10 nationally. Gifford has 15 years of playing experience on amateur and satellite tennis circuits in the U.S. and Europe. During his 26 years of coaching in the Syracuse area, Gifford has coached a variety of players at all levels. In 1996, he coached the number-one ranked player in the country in the seniors division. He also coached Gillian Tippett before she went on to win 112 matches in her four-year career at Syracuse. Gifford has served as the head tennis professional at Pine Grove Country Club in Camillus, Wolf Hollow Racket Club in Dewitt, Limestone Tennis Club in Manlius and Sundown Athletic Club in Dewitt.
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