Easley Voted As A Top Local Coach
12/20/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Dec. 20, 1999
LAS VEGAS - UNLV men's tennis coach Dr. Larry Easley has been named the 20th top local coach of the century by a Las Vegas newspaper.
Easley is in his ninth season leading the Rebels' men's team as well as serving as director of tennis for the school. A native of Ojai, Calif., he graduated from Nordhof High School in 1966. Easley went on to earn his bachelor's degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and later earn a master's degree and doctorate at UNLV.
A 20-member panel voted the 30-person list in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. To be eligible, c oaches or managers must have lived in Southern Nevada during their career. Former UNLV men's basketball head coach Jerry Tarkanian was voted the top local coach of the century.
Easley, who was the only tennis coach to make the list, was cited for tutoring Pete Sampras for seven years while Sampras was growing up in Los Angeles. Easley began his collegiate coaching career by compiling a 67-18 record at Long Beach State from 1985-87 and led the 49ers to a No. 2 national ranking.
After moving to Las Vegas in 1992, Easley was credited for building UNLV into a tennis power that earned the program's first three conference championships in 1994-96.
He also helped bring home two national championships to the school. Under his tutelage, Rebel Luke Smith won the 1997 NCAA singles championship and then teamed with Tim Blenkiron for that year's doubles title.
Easley, who has a career coaching record of 175-93, was a four-time Big West Conference Coach of the Year and was tabbed the 1998 NCAA Regional Coach of the Year. Last year, he served as the national chairman of the NCAA Men's and Women's Tennis Committee.
