Bio

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Coach Al DuFaux is in his 25th season as the head coach of the women’s tennis team after joining the University of Tampa athletic staff in September of 1999.

DuFaux has led his team to winning seasons in six of the past nine campaigns, as the Spartans were nationally ranked during six of the last eight seasons. He has guided his team to contention with the nation's best teams in the Sunshine State Conference.

His most recent 2023 campaign saw the Spartans achieve their highest national ranking at No.6 in the ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings, which included two players, Raquel Amaro and Victoria Sanchez, who both secured individual national rankings and All-SSC selections honors. Amaro became the first player in program history to earn first-team All-SSC honors. The Spartans finished the season with an overall record of 10-8 in the Sunshine State Conference. 

Among the feats DuFaux has accomplished for his program are defeating the first NCAA Division I opponent, Green Bay (3/19/09). In 2006, DuFaux also led the Spartans to their first NCAA tournament appearance as UT finished the year with a program record 15 victories.

Among the players DuFaux has coached at UT include all-time singles win leader Caitlin Scudder and Heather Eli, who ranks second on the all-time singles wins chart. Scudder is also third on the all-time doubles wins list. He also led the Spartans into the national rankings and placed the program's first singles player (Thashia Garcia) and doubles team (Lauren Hewett and Meg Wladimirski) in the national rankings in 2013. Before the 2023 season, the highest all-time national tennis ranking the team achieved was 14^th in the nation during the 2013 season. 

• NCAA Tournament Appearance (1): 2007

• All-Sunshine State Conference (9)
  2023 - Raquel Amaro (first team singles), Raquel Amaro/Victoria Sanchez (second team doubles)
  2013 - Lilley Nice (honorable mention singles), Lilley Nice/Maddie Stephens (honorable mention doubles)
  2013 - Lauren Hewett (second team singles), Lauren Hewett/Meg Wladimirski (second team doubles)
• ITA All-Academic Team (10)
  2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• ITA Scholar-Athlete (22)
  2020 - Dakota Busch, Ekaterina Grib, Vanina Iordanova, Nicoline Palmgren, Giulia Tatini
  2019 - Amanda Baxter, Dakota Busch, Vanina Iordanova, Nicoline Palmgren, Giulia Tatini
  2016 - Danielle Beyes, Lauriane Cardot, Gianna Pinasco
  2015 - Kelsey Matthews, Jenelle Morgan, Cameron Moskol, Viviana Tedino
  2014 - Thashia Garcia, Kelsey Matthews, Katherine Pyne, Viviana Tedino, Meg Wladimirski

• ITA/UTR National Player of the Week (1): Ekaterina Grib (03/09-15/2020)
• ITA All-American (1): Ekaterina Grib (2020)

Before coming to Tampa, DuFaux coached at Tampa Gaither High School. He has also worked as an umpire with the United States Tennis Association and as a referee for junior events. Among the WTA events, DuFaux has officiated for tennis stars such as Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, Monica Seles, Anna Kournikova and Jennifer Capriati.

In addition to coaching and umpiring, DuFaux is certified with the United State Professional Tennis Registry, United States Tennis Association and United States Racquet Stringers Association, and also works as a community tennis instructor at Meadow Point.

Al DuFaux, a 1973 graduate from the University of Missouri (also holds a master’s degree from MU).