Southeast welcomes Leah Hottois to coach tennis

~Hottois is the third person to coach the tennis team in the past three years

The search for the Southeast Missouri State University women's tennis team's coach is over. Southeast chose Leah Hottois as the coach for the upcoming season.

"I'm very excited for this opportunity because this is something I have always wanted to do," Hottois said.

This is the Arrow logo Photo by Alyssa Brewer

Hottois was a member of Texas A&M's tennis team for four years from 1999-2002 and earned her bachelor's degree in business administration.

Being the coach at Southeast is Hottois's first chance to be a head coach. However, she worked as assistant coach last season at the University of Dayton for both the women and men's tennis teams.

Hottois also coached Weymouth, Mass., where she led a United States Tennis Association junior team to a national championship in 2008.

"She really knows a lot about the game and is really helpful," said Melissa Martin, a junior returner for the women's tennis team.

"I want to have a lot of consistency this year and make sure that the women know I care about them as players and give 100 percent every time," Hottois said.

Consistency is something that the Southeast women's tennis team is not used to. In the past three years, Southeast has had three coaches.

In the 2011-2012 season, Mark Elliot led the Southeast Redhawks to a 5-12 record. In the 2013 season, the team, led by head coach Josh Moore, finished with an overall record of 4-11.

Moore's contract was not renewed after the last season. Moore was let go for "insubordination" on July 3, according to Moore after a meeting with Mark Alnutt, the director of athletics on June 24.

Moore had filed two complaints while employed with the university. One complaint was filed against Alnutt and the other against Cindy Gannon, the senior associate director of athletics.

Hottois has experience with improving records. She coached at Fontbonne Academy High School in Milton, Mass.

The year before Hottois arrived, the Fontbonne Ducks finished with an overall record of 1-18. Hottois improved the varsity girls tennis team record to 9-10.

"She is very intense on court and pushes you to work hard but is very approachable off court," said senior tennis player Heather Robinson.

Working hard on and off the court is not the only thing Hottois wants the team to work on.

"I really want them to focus on cheering for their teammates, even if they are losing their matches," said Hottois.

Hottois said she wants the team to grow together and become one unified team over the course of the season.

"My goals for this season is to have a lot of team spirit, a lot of team unity and to work together on the court, to have a successful season," Hottois said.

The team will continue fall exhibition play Oct. 11 at UT-Martin.