Northwestern University Athletics
Chris Drake Hired as Assistant Coach
10/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Oct. 4, 2007
EVANSTON, Ill.-- Following a three-year stint in professional tennis, Chris Drake has been hired as Arvid Swan's top assistant coach for the 2007-08 men's tennis season.
"Chris Drake was a great college player at Brown University and a top-100 doubles player in the world on the ATP tour," Swan said. "Chris' collegiate and professional experience as well as his coaching background will allow him to make an immediate and significant impact on the program."
While attending Brown, Drake racked up numerous honors as he led his team to its first Ivy League title. The two-time captain was a unanimous selection to the All-Academic Ivy League team in 2002 and '03 and was one of just seven players in the nation to win the 2003 Region I Rafael Osuna Award, which is given to a player that displays sportsmanship, character, excellence in academics and has outstanding tennis accomplishments.
After his graduation, Drake worked as a tennis instructor until he began play on the Futures Tour in 2004. In his first year on tour, he achieved ATP rankings in both singles and doubles play.
Drake then began playing on the ATP/Challenge Tour a year later, where he became the 10th-highest ranked American in the World, was the No. 1 seed in "The Championships Wimbledon" doubles qualifying event in 2006, defeated 12 players ranked in the top 50 of the ATP doubles rankings and won a total of six ATP Challenger doubles titles.
"Chris is a quality person as well as a great coach. I look forward to building this program to national prominence with Chris," Swan said.
The team began its fall season on Oct. 12 at the Wildcat Fall Invitational in Evanston, Ill.
