Longtime Blue Hens tennis coach Travis steps down

Laura Travis has resigned after 26 seasons as University of Delaware women's tennis coach, the school announced Thursday.

Travis had also been UD’s men's tennis coach for 21 seasons through the 2013-14 school year. As Delaware women's coach, Travis’ teams went 295-165, including 12-6 (3-1 CAA) in 2017-18.

The former Laura LeRoy was among the state’s top high school players at Tower Hill School before attending UD, from which she graduated in 1989. As a Blue Hen tennis player, she set school records for singles wins in a season (22 in 1988-89) and a career (73-12) and doubles wins in a career (26-9 with Christie Ellis). She was 1989 East Coast Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

“What an amazing journey this has been from my undergraduate student-athlete experience to coaching the varsity programs and everything in between,” Travis said in a UD release. “I am grateful to Mary Ann Hitchens and Edgar Johnson, who provided the opportunity to pursue my dream of coaching collegiate tennis and to join a select few women in the country to coach an NCAA DI men’s program.

“Taking part in the growth and development of so many student-athletes has been incredibly rewarding and the relationships built along the way with the athletes, their families, fellow co-workers and tennis coaches throughout the country is something I will always cherish. The future at UD is bright and it will be exciting to see the next chapter unfold.”

Travis, named to the USTA Middle States Hall of Fame in October 2014, was the first female to coach a UD men’s team. She was a five-time conference coach of the year, twice with men’s teams and three times with her women’s squads, most recently in 2016-17.

John Heyman, Delaware's swimming coach the last 29 seasons, also recently stepped down.

“Laura has had a great impact on Delaware tennis and we are beyond grateful for her contributions and commitment to this university,” Delaware Athletic Director Chrissi Rawak said in a statement. “What started as a standout career led to a [2001 UD Athletics] Hall of Fame induction and more than 25 years of dedication, commitment and passion to build and develop our program and student-athletes.

"Laura has been a positive mentor for so many of our young men and women over the years and is well deserving of the legacy she has imparted here.”  

 Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @kevintresolini.