( Photo by John Kelley )
Former Georgia All-American Bo Hodge has been named men’s tennis associate head coach at his alma mater, head coach Manuel Diaz announced Friday.[su_spacer size=”40″]
Hodge returns to Georgia after serving in the same position at Oklahoma under former Bulldog John Roddick. He helped the Sooners achieve unprecedented success in his four seasons in Norman as OU compiled a 97-18 record – it’s best four-year mark in school history – and reached the NCAA final in each of the last two seasons.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “We are thrilled to have Bo back at the University of Georgia,” Diaz said. “After having an outstanding career as a player at UGA, I have seen him develop and become a phenomenal coach who can help our young men improve on and off the tennis court. Bo will have an easy task integrating back into our program, and he brings diverse experience from the past 10 years working with some great players and coaches. We are excited about the future of our tennis program at the University of Georgia.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] In 2015, Hodge helped guide the Sooners to a program record with 29 wins, the school’s first National Indoor title and the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Championship. In Hodge’s four years, an Oklahoma player finished the season ranked in the top-15 nationally in singles five times, including this past season when Axel Alvarez ended the year ranked No. 1 and was also named the ITA National Player of the Year.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The 2014 Oklahoma squad claimed a No. 1 national ranking for the first time in program history, and Hodge was voted ITA Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year at the end of the season.
[su_spacer size=”40″] In addition to NCAA runner-up finishes in 2014 and 2015, Hodge and the Sooners won Big 12 titles in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
[su_spacer size=”40″] An Athens native, Hodge is returning to UGA where he served as a volunteer coach for the Bulldogs from 2006-2008. During those three seasons, Georgia won three national championships (National Indoors in 2006, NCAA in 2007 and 2008) and back-to-back-to-back SEC championships with an 89-4 record.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “I’m humbled and honored to accept the position of associate head coach at the University of Georgia,” Hodge said. “I want to thank Coach Diaz, Greg McGarity and Matt Brachowski for believing in me, and I’m going to hit the ground running. Being from Athens and playing at Georgia, it has always been a dream to come back and coach my alma mater. I also want to thank John Roddick and the University of Oklahoma athletic department. I spent the last four years at Oklahoma and learned so much from John. I’m so excited to wear the red and black again, and my wife and I are thrilled to return to the Classic City.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] Hodge succeeds Will Glenn, who stepped down last week after 10 successful seasons with the Bulldogs.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Said Hodge: “I have the utmost respect for Will. We were teammates on the 2001 national championship team here and have been friends since we were kids. I have some big shoes to fill, but I’m excited about the challenge.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] Hodge was hired to be Oklahoma’s assistant in 2011 and was promoted to associate head coach following the 2013 season. He previously spent three years as an assistant coach at Alabama under Billy Pate from 2008-2011. He helped the Crimson Tide earn a pair of berths to the NCAA Championship.
[su_spacer size=”40″] For the fifth consecutive year, Hodge is coaching the USTA Collegiate National Team, which is a high-level training program designed to help top American college players make a smooth transition to professional tennis. Players who have participated in the program include Hodge’s former Georgia teammate and doubles partner John Isner, James Blake (Harvard), Bob Bryan (Stanford) and Mike Bryan (Stanford).
[su_spacer size=”40″] As a player, Hodge became the sixth four-year All-American in Georgia’s storied history. He is also one of seven four-year All-SEC honorees to play under Diaz. Hodge was a member of the 2001 NCAA championship team, and he played on three SEC championship teams (2001, 2002 and 2004). Hodge was ranked as high as No. 2 in the country in both his freshman and senior seasons, and he spent much of his college career ranked in the nation’s top five in both singles and doubles. He reached the NCAA doubles final in 2004 with Isner.
[su_spacer size=”40″] After completing his eligibility with the Bulldogs in 2004, Hodge played on the ATP Tour for two years before his coaching career began. He was as a coach and hitting partner with Venus and Serena Williams in 2005-06 and also worked with Mardy Fish in 2007 and 2008.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Hodge graduated from Georgia in 2008 with a degree in speech communications. Before coming to UGA, he led Athens Academy to the 1998 Class A High School state title as a sophomore. He then moved to Boca Raton, Fla., to train under South African coach Stanford Boster while attending Boca Prep, where he also played on the basketball team.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Hodge is married to the former Tatum Clowney of Greenville, S.C., and he is the son of Mark and Suzette Hodge of Athens. His father is a UGA football letterman and was a tight end and offensive captain of the 1978 Bulldogs.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “We are thrilled to have Bo back at the University of Georgia,” Diaz said. “After having an outstanding career as a player at UGA, I have seen him develop and become a phenomenal coach who can help our young men improve on and off the tennis court. Bo will have an easy task integrating back into our program, and he brings diverse experience from the past 10 years working with some great players and coaches. We are excited about the future of our tennis program at the University of Georgia.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] In 2015, Hodge helped guide the Sooners to a program record with 29 wins, the school’s first National Indoor title and the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Championship. In Hodge’s four years, an Oklahoma player finished the season ranked in the top-15 nationally in singles five times, including this past season when Axel Alvarez ended the year ranked No. 1 and was also named the ITA National Player of the Year.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The 2014 Oklahoma squad claimed a No. 1 national ranking for the first time in program history, and Hodge was voted ITA Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year at the end of the season.
[su_spacer size=”40″] In addition to NCAA runner-up finishes in 2014 and 2015, Hodge and the Sooners won Big 12 titles in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
[su_spacer size=”40″] An Athens native, Hodge is returning to UGA where he served as a volunteer coach for the Bulldogs from 2006-2008. During those three seasons, Georgia won three national championships (National Indoors in 2006, NCAA in 2007 and 2008) and back-to-back-to-back SEC championships with an 89-4 record.
[su_spacer size=”40″] “I’m humbled and honored to accept the position of associate head coach at the University of Georgia,” Hodge said. “I want to thank Coach Diaz, Greg McGarity and Matt Brachowski for believing in me, and I’m going to hit the ground running. Being from Athens and playing at Georgia, it has always been a dream to come back and coach my alma mater. I also want to thank John Roddick and the University of Oklahoma athletic department. I spent the last four years at Oklahoma and learned so much from John. I’m so excited to wear the red and black again, and my wife and I are thrilled to return to the Classic City.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] Hodge succeeds Will Glenn, who stepped down last week after 10 successful seasons with the Bulldogs.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Said Hodge: “I have the utmost respect for Will. We were teammates on the 2001 national championship team here and have been friends since we were kids. I have some big shoes to fill, but I’m excited about the challenge.”
[su_spacer size=”40″] Hodge was hired to be Oklahoma’s assistant in 2011 and was promoted to associate head coach following the 2013 season. He previously spent three years as an assistant coach at Alabama under Billy Pate from 2008-2011. He helped the Crimson Tide earn a pair of berths to the NCAA Championship.
[su_spacer size=”40″] For the fifth consecutive year, Hodge is coaching the USTA Collegiate National Team, which is a high-level training program designed to help top American college players make a smooth transition to professional tennis. Players who have participated in the program include Hodge’s former Georgia teammate and doubles partner John Isner, James Blake (Harvard), Bob Bryan (Stanford) and Mike Bryan (Stanford).
[su_spacer size=”40″] As a player, Hodge became the sixth four-year All-American in Georgia’s storied history. He is also one of seven four-year All-SEC honorees to play under Diaz. Hodge was a member of the 2001 NCAA championship team, and he played on three SEC championship teams (2001, 2002 and 2004). Hodge was ranked as high as No. 2 in the country in both his freshman and senior seasons, and he spent much of his college career ranked in the nation’s top five in both singles and doubles. He reached the NCAA doubles final in 2004 with Isner.
[su_spacer size=”40″] After completing his eligibility with the Bulldogs in 2004, Hodge played on the ATP Tour for two years before his coaching career began. He was as a coach and hitting partner with Venus and Serena Williams in 2005-06 and also worked with Mardy Fish in 2007 and 2008.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Hodge graduated from Georgia in 2008 with a degree in speech communications. Before coming to UGA, he led Athens Academy to the 1998 Class A High School state title as a sophomore. He then moved to Boca Raton, Fla., to train under South African coach Stanford Boster while attending Boca Prep, where he also played on the basketball team.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Hodge is married to the former Tatum Clowney of Greenville, S.C., and he is the son of Mark and Suzette Hodge of Athens. His father is a UGA football letterman and was a tight end and offensive captain of the 1978 Bulldogs.