TEMPE – Sun Devil head men's tennis coach Matt Hill announced the promotion of assistant coach Dominic Cotrone to associate head coach on Friday.
"This promotion is incredibly well deserved," Hill said. "Dominic has been an integral part of rebuilding this program from the beginning since he came on board in 2017. We were just starting to form a team back then and his impact and influence during the early stages were critical for what we have been able to accomplish in a short amount of time."
Cotrone was promoted to assistant coach in July of 2020 after serving three seasons as a volunteer coach with the Sun Devils. Prior to his time in Tempe, Cotrone starred at Florida State from 2011-14 before transferring to South Florida for the 2015-16 season where he competed under Hill.
"I am very excited about being named associate head coach," Cotrone said. "It has been an awesome opportunity to help grow this program from the beginning. This promotion reiterates to me the confidence that Sun Devil Athletics and Matt have in my abilities, and I am excited to continue our success in my new role at ASU."
Cotrone has helped the Sun Devils reach the NCAA postseason three times including the 2023 run in Cambridge, Mass. He also assisted then sophomore Murphy Cassone in his run to the NCAA Singles semifinals. Cassone is the first Sun Devil men's tennis singles All-American since Sargis Sargsian in 1995.
"I am extremely happy for Dom and his family. He is one of the best assistant coaches in college tennis and a true asset to our program," men's tennis senior administrator Natesh Rao said. "Dom is an exceptional leader, trusted advisor and the ultimate professional. His positive demeanor and ability to develop student-athletes will help us continue to have success. I am grateful for his contributions on and off the court, and in the community."
The Bradenton, Fla. native became the second All-American in USF history, advancing to the round of 16 at the NCAA singles tournament during his senior season (2015-16) while posting a 13-7 singles record. Cotrone was the No. 1-ranked junior tennis player in Florida and highest recruit in Florida heading into college in 2011. At FSU, he played at No. 1 singles and doubles, was team captain, and received First Team All-ACC honors.
In 2016, after transferring to USF to join Hill, he was ranked one of the best American players in college tennis based on his UTR (14.34). Following his illustrious collegiate career, Cotrone went on to win four professional doubles titles before coming to Tempe.
"On top of the program impact, who Dominic is as a person compliments our coaching staff and me so incredibly well. He has a gift of blocking out the noise and cutting straight to the heart of a matter when I get too focused on the minute details," Hill stated. "His on court presence with the players is second to none as he can manage any situation in coaching so well because of his emotional IQ, which is one of the highest I've ever worked with. We would not be where we are without him, and I am super excited for what is to come. We have huge goals at Arizona State of being year in and year out one of the premier college tennis programs in the nation and we are moving towards that consistency with Dominic's help."
Q/A with Associate Head Coach Dom Cotrone
Describe your relationship with Head Coach Matt Hill...
I have known Matt for a long time because I played for him in college when I was a student-athlete. I would attribute a lot of our success to the great relationship Matt and I have built over the years. We share the same vision and goals of where we see this program heading in the near future. We are similar in some ways but different in others, and this gives us the unique ability to complement each other as we coach our players. Matt is an amazing coach to learn from because he has been coaching at an extremely high level for so long. I hope to continue to work and learn alongside him for many years to come.
Who would you like to acknowledge for helping you reach the position of Associate Head Coach...
I would first like to thank Ray Anderson, Jean Boyd and Matt Hill for initially having the confidence in me to hire me at ASU; as well as elevating me into this new position so I can continue to help lead this program.
I would also like to thank our team oversights Natesh Rao and Dan Wakely for doing an awesome job helping us reach our goals as a program and helping prepare me for this new role as Associate Head Coach.
What's your favorite memory from your time at ASU...
My favorite memory at ASU was this past season (2023) as I was able to help coach Murphy Cassone to the semifinals of the NCAA Singles Championship. Murphy being in the final four of all singles players in the nation is a huge accomplishment for our program as we continue to make ASU one of the elite tennis programs in the nation.
As a tennis coach, what's your favorite part of the job...
My favorite part of coaching at ASU is spending time with our players off the court as we travel to compete. Our culture is very important to us, so we always strive to have a close-knit group of players. Many of our players come from all over the world so this typically leads to some awesome memories as we travel around the country.
As you grow in your career, at this moment what would you like to tell/advise future Coach Dom...
The advice I would give my future self is to enjoy each moment and never miss an opportunity to mentor our players. Each one of our players will have a life after tennis; and they must also be prepared for the challenges of life they will face off the court.
What's your favorite memory from your collegiate tennis days...
My favorite memory from my time as a collegiate tennis player was when I became the second NCAA Singles All-American in program history under Matt's direction at the University of South Florida.
What are perks of living in Arizona...
The #1 perk of living in Arizona is the year-round sunny weather we get to play tennis!
Is there anything that you would like the general public to know about you...
I would like to thank my wife for being the best partner. This job requires a lot of time away from our families. I have 2 beautiful daughters at home, and without my wife I would not be able to be as successful as I have been within my coaching career.
"This promotion is incredibly well deserved," Hill said. "Dominic has been an integral part of rebuilding this program from the beginning since he came on board in 2017. We were just starting to form a team back then and his impact and influence during the early stages were critical for what we have been able to accomplish in a short amount of time."
Cotrone was promoted to assistant coach in July of 2020 after serving three seasons as a volunteer coach with the Sun Devils. Prior to his time in Tempe, Cotrone starred at Florida State from 2011-14 before transferring to South Florida for the 2015-16 season where he competed under Hill.
"I am very excited about being named associate head coach," Cotrone said. "It has been an awesome opportunity to help grow this program from the beginning. This promotion reiterates to me the confidence that Sun Devil Athletics and Matt have in my abilities, and I am excited to continue our success in my new role at ASU."
Cotrone has helped the Sun Devils reach the NCAA postseason three times including the 2023 run in Cambridge, Mass. He also assisted then sophomore Murphy Cassone in his run to the NCAA Singles semifinals. Cassone is the first Sun Devil men's tennis singles All-American since Sargis Sargsian in 1995.
"I am extremely happy for Dom and his family. He is one of the best assistant coaches in college tennis and a true asset to our program," men's tennis senior administrator Natesh Rao said. "Dom is an exceptional leader, trusted advisor and the ultimate professional. His positive demeanor and ability to develop student-athletes will help us continue to have success. I am grateful for his contributions on and off the court, and in the community."
The Bradenton, Fla. native became the second All-American in USF history, advancing to the round of 16 at the NCAA singles tournament during his senior season (2015-16) while posting a 13-7 singles record. Cotrone was the No. 1-ranked junior tennis player in Florida and highest recruit in Florida heading into college in 2011. At FSU, he played at No. 1 singles and doubles, was team captain, and received First Team All-ACC honors.
In 2016, after transferring to USF to join Hill, he was ranked one of the best American players in college tennis based on his UTR (14.34). Following his illustrious collegiate career, Cotrone went on to win four professional doubles titles before coming to Tempe.
"On top of the program impact, who Dominic is as a person compliments our coaching staff and me so incredibly well. He has a gift of blocking out the noise and cutting straight to the heart of a matter when I get too focused on the minute details," Hill stated. "His on court presence with the players is second to none as he can manage any situation in coaching so well because of his emotional IQ, which is one of the highest I've ever worked with. We would not be where we are without him, and I am super excited for what is to come. We have huge goals at Arizona State of being year in and year out one of the premier college tennis programs in the nation and we are moving towards that consistency with Dominic's help."
Q/A with Associate Head Coach Dom Cotrone
Describe your relationship with Head Coach Matt Hill...
I have known Matt for a long time because I played for him in college when I was a student-athlete. I would attribute a lot of our success to the great relationship Matt and I have built over the years. We share the same vision and goals of where we see this program heading in the near future. We are similar in some ways but different in others, and this gives us the unique ability to complement each other as we coach our players. Matt is an amazing coach to learn from because he has been coaching at an extremely high level for so long. I hope to continue to work and learn alongside him for many years to come.
Who would you like to acknowledge for helping you reach the position of Associate Head Coach...
I would first like to thank Ray Anderson, Jean Boyd and Matt Hill for initially having the confidence in me to hire me at ASU; as well as elevating me into this new position so I can continue to help lead this program.
I would also like to thank our team oversights Natesh Rao and Dan Wakely for doing an awesome job helping us reach our goals as a program and helping prepare me for this new role as Associate Head Coach.
What's your favorite memory from your time at ASU...
My favorite memory at ASU was this past season (2023) as I was able to help coach Murphy Cassone to the semifinals of the NCAA Singles Championship. Murphy being in the final four of all singles players in the nation is a huge accomplishment for our program as we continue to make ASU one of the elite tennis programs in the nation.
As a tennis coach, what's your favorite part of the job...
My favorite part of coaching at ASU is spending time with our players off the court as we travel to compete. Our culture is very important to us, so we always strive to have a close-knit group of players. Many of our players come from all over the world so this typically leads to some awesome memories as we travel around the country.
As you grow in your career, at this moment what would you like to tell/advise future Coach Dom...
The advice I would give my future self is to enjoy each moment and never miss an opportunity to mentor our players. Each one of our players will have a life after tennis; and they must also be prepared for the challenges of life they will face off the court.
What's your favorite memory from your collegiate tennis days...
My favorite memory from my time as a collegiate tennis player was when I became the second NCAA Singles All-American in program history under Matt's direction at the University of South Florida.
What are perks of living in Arizona...
The #1 perk of living in Arizona is the year-round sunny weather we get to play tennis!
Is there anything that you would like the general public to know about you...
I would like to thank my wife for being the best partner. This job requires a lot of time away from our families. I have 2 beautiful daughters at home, and without my wife I would not be able to be as successful as I have been within my coaching career.