If you’ve been to a men’s tennis match in the past four seasons, you may have heard the crowd chanting “Manza!”
Lipscomb’s men’s tennis recruited Alejandro Manzanares, the No. 1 player in Venezuela’s 18U division, back in the spring semester of 2015. Throughout his tennis career as a Bison, he has achieved multiple ASUN titles as well as finished every year with a positive individual record.
Manzanares is currently a senior in his fifth spring semester. He anticipates on graduating this upcoming May. Due to NCAA rules, he is unable to play on the team this season since he has already played his four seasons of eligibility. However, head coach Geoff Hernandez offered Manzanares a position as the new assistant coach this season.
“I think Alejandro obviously had a high IQ as a tennis player,” Hernandez said. “I knew that coaching was going to be a natural thing for him, and it’s honestly something that I feel like he might do with the rest of his life.
On the court, Hernandez said Manzanares was known to have a winner’s mentality, smart play decisions and calm mannerisms. It was only a matter of time before he transferred those qualities over to coaching.
“I think as he got organized with his academics in the fall, it was the right time for him to come into the spring, and he has had an immediate impact,” Hernandez said.
Ironically, before Manzanares was offered the position, he was actually considering asking Hernandez himself if he could volunteer as the assistant coach. But Hernandez beat him to it, and Manzanares was not surprised that the opportunity presented itself.
“I knew that [Geoff] knew about my tennis skills and tennis IQ,” Manzanares said. “We both know that I was a really smart player on court, and I believe that transition would come easy as a coach…I wasn’t really that shocked when he asked me, but I’m very grateful for it.”
Aside from his appreciation for the team and coaches, Manzanares noted he also saw it as a big opportunity that could bring him a lot of good things in the future. He said he really likes the team, simply loves the sport and thought it would be good experience — one that he has been enjoying so far.
Manzanares is also the first former player to become assistant coach within the past five years since the Hernandez brothers took over the men’s tennis team as coaches.
“We’ve had guys step in during the season, but this is the first time [a former player has become the assistant coach,” Hernandez said. “It’s always been Mario and I taking over the past five years. We brought [other assistant coach] Andy in last year, and now we have Alejandro – it’s just a different feeling as a coach.
“You have confidence, and you’re not looking over your shoulder worrying about what’s going to be said. They fill in the gaps where I don’t give the right information, so it’s nice to have that.”
Moving into a new role with the team as a coach is a new dynamic for Manzanares and his former teammates, but he said his teammates have been supportive of him.
In the No. 1 spot and Manzanares’ former doubles partner, Victor Chaw said he thought it was a good thing for Manzanares and his new phase in life.
“We needed some help for Geoff [Hernandez], and I thought it was a great opportunity for him to grow,” Chaw said. “The connection and trust is why he got this opportunity. There is mutual respect from both the players and him which makes the dynamic very professional…It’s way different to play than to coach, but I believe he can help us be tougher just like he was when he played.”
Because Manzanares was recently a player for the team, he said his coaching mentality can come from a different perspective.
“This could be taken negatively, but I’ve always had really high standards for what I do,” Manzanares said. “I believe I can help the team have higher standards as well. I never took it lightly when I made mistakes, and the more you think that way as a player, the more you can reduce giving away free points. That’s just part of the culture of having a winner’s mentality. It’s a lot easier for me to talk to the players because I used to be their teammate, so I come from a different angle.”
Manzanares added that he would enjoy to play the sport again, but coaching it is the next best thing. He is unsure of how long his career as the assistant coach will stand, but as of right now, it is at least for the season.
“I wish [being assistant coach] would go longer, but things might change in the future,” Manzanares said. “I really like coaching though.”
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics