2015 UCLA MEN’S TENNIS Staff Biographies BILLY MARTIN Head Coach 22nd Season Univ. of Redlands ‘89 Another signifi cant highlight in Martin's career is his outstanding success in the highly-competitive Pac-12 Conference, where he owns a 131-25 (.840) record. Martin, the 2014 Pac-12 Coach of the Year after leading UCLA to the Pac-12 Tournament title, has been named the Conference's coach of the year four times (1996, 2012, 2013 and 2014). Under Martin's direction, UCLA has captured 11 conference titles, including four in a row from 2004-07. UCLA has never fi nished out of the top 3 in the Pac-12 Head coach Billy Martin, who is in his 22nd year standings during Martin's tenure. as head coach of the UCLA Bruins, takes an overall In addition to his numerous team accom- record of 482-96 (.834) into the 2015 season. This plishments, Martin takes great pride in helping his year marks Martin's 32nd on staff, as he served as players achieve their individual goals as well. In 2006, an assistant coach for 10 years prior to taking over he helped Benjamin Kohlloeffel become the 10th for Glenn Bassett in 1994. He is only the fourth head player in school history to capture the NCAA Singles coach in UCLA tennis history, following legends Bill Under Martin’s direction, UCLA captured the 2005 NCAA Championship. Kohlloeffel notched a straight-set Ackerman (1921-50), J.D. Morgan (1951-66) and Championship in College Station, Texas. win over Virginia's Somdev Devvarman in the title Bassett (1967-93). Only three active coaches at match that year, becoming the fi rst Bruin player since UCLA have served longer at their current positions, special one, as he guided the team to a perfect Martin in 1975 to win the title. Kohlloeffel's victory as Martin follows Cyndi Gallagher (women's swim- 19-0 dual-match record en route to an NCAA team put his coach in an elite category, as Martin joined ming - 26 years) and Valorie Kondos Field (women's championship during his freshman year. Georgia's Manny Diaz as the only other active head gymnastics - 25 years ). Perhaps the most amazing After capturing the 1975 NCAA singles cham- coach to earn the career "triple crown" by leading accomplishment in Martin's career is his ability to pionship, Martin turned professional and enjoyed their schools to three different titles at the NCAA contend for a championship each and every year, a fi ne career. He reached the Wimbledon singles Championships (team, singles and doubles). Most as only once has he had a team fi nish out of the quarterfi nals in 1977 and was selected Rookie of recently, Martin helped Marcos Giron become the top 5 at the season-ending NCAA Championships. the Year in his fi rst professional season. school's 11th NCAA Singles Champion when Giron Martin's fi nest season at UCLA came in 2005 when Martin defeated top pros such as Ken Rose- downed Pepperdine's Alex Sarkissian in straight he led the squad to its fi rst NCAA title since 1984. wall (twice), Stan Smith, John Newcombe, Roscoe sets in the 2014 championship match in Athens, UCLA's 4-3 come-from-behind victory over top- Tanner and Harold Soloman. In 1975 he won the Ga. Martin's doubles title came when he coached seeded and undefeated Baylor that year marked the Arkansas International singles title. He also won Justin Gimelstob and Srdjan Muskatirovic to the Bruins' 16th NCAA Championship in men's tennis doubles championships in 1977, '79 and '81 in championship in 1995. In all, a total of 25 players and the school's 97th NCAA title overall. The win Laguna Niguel, CA, Brussels, Belgium and Bristol, have achieved All-America status under Martin's snapped Baylor's 57-match winning streak, the England, respectively. direction. second longest in NCAA history. It also avenged the Martin attended UCLA for three years, working Inducted into the ITA Tennis Hall of Fame in team's 4-0 loss to the Bears in the 2004 NCAA Final. on his undergraduate studies before completing his 1996, Martin's playing career is full of highlights. In addition to the team's dramatic run to the bachelor's degree in business management from To this very day he is still regarded as one of the title in 2005, Martin has had several near misses the University of Redlands in 1989. He earned his best junior players in the history of the sport. He at the NCAA Championships, including 2013 when MBA from USC in 1991. captured the 1973 and '74 singles titles at Junior the top-seeded Bruins were narrowly edged by During the summer, Martin runs the Bassett- Wimbledon, the Junior U.S. Open and Junior Orange No. 2 Virginia, 4-3 in the championship match in Martin Tennis Camp, one of the country's most Bowl tournaments. Inside Tennis Magazine recently Champaign, Ill. Under Martin, UCLA has reached successful camps for youngsters. Martin also directs ran an article that named him "Junior Player of the NCAA Final on three other occasions (1996, the UCLA Summer Tennis Camps held on the UCLA the Century." Due to his tremendous success as 1999 and 2004). After reaching the fi nal in just his campus. a junior player while growing up in Illinois, Martin third year as head coach, Martin was named the Martin and his wife, Justine, have two was inducted into the USTA Midwest Section Hall of 1996 ITA National Coach of the Year, as the Bruins children, William and Travis. Both of his sons play Fame in December of 2010. He was also inducted fi nished with a 27-1 overall record. college tennis, with William currently at St. Mary's into the Southern California Tennis Association Hall and Travis a sophomore on the UCLA team. of Fame in August of 2011. Although Martin played just one season at UCLA before turning pro, the 1975 season was a 2 2015 UCLA MEN’S TENNIS Staff Biographies Championships. Chen has also played an in- GRANT CHEN strumental role in helping Martin run the highly Assistant Coach successful UCLA Tennis Camps and Bassett/ 3rd Season Martin Tennis Camp in Big Bear, Calif. In his spare time, Chen has organized UCLA ‘06 several tennis charity events around the country. On the coaching side, Chen served as head Prior to being named assistant coach, coach of the UCLA Club Tennis Team from Chen served for fi ve seasons as the team's 2007-10. He coached the team to a pair of Director of Operations. He was named Director Southern California Regional Championships of Operations following graduation from UCLA in 2007 and 2008, including a third-place in 2006, serving in that capacity for one season national fi nish in 2010. Chen was a member of before leaving to work in sports management, the club tennis team from 2005-2006, winning where he assisted with a handful of prominent both the Fall and Spring Intramural events at tennis professionals in the Los Angeles Area. UCLA while leading the team to a regional title Chen returned to UCLA in 2009 to work with and a top 5 fi nish at nationals. Grant Chen enters his third season as both the men's and women's tennis programs. assistant coach with the UCLA men's tennis Several of Chen's duties included logis- program. During his three year's as coach Billy tics, travel, equipment, as well as managing Martin's top assistant, UCLA has twice reached all home events. He has served as tournament the semifi nals at the NCAA Championships manager for a number of UCLA hosted events, (2012 and 2014), including the fi nal in 2013. such as ITA Kick-Off Weekend, NCAA Region- als and the Southern California Intercollegiate ing a place in the NCAA Doubles Championships RIKUS de VILLIERS with teammate Remi Boutllier. The duo ended Volunteer Assistant Coach the 2011 season listed at No. 18 in the Final 3rd Season ITA Doubles Rankings. As a junior tennis player in South Africa, Fresno State '11 he twice won the African Championships in singles and doubles. He earned his fi rst ATP to his arrival in Fresno, he played one season point when he was just a 14 years old. at Pepperdine before transferring following his freshman year. During his time in Fresno, de Villiers earned All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) honors in each of his three seasons. He was named to the conference's fi rst team in both singles and doubles as a senior. He also helped Fresno State to a WAC Championship The 2015 season marks the third season his senior year, securing the Bulldogs an au- in Westwood for volunteer assistant coach Rikus tomatic berth in the NCAA Tournament, where de Villiers. they reached the second round. A native of South Africa, de Villiers was In addition to ascending to a career-high a top player at Fresno State (2009-11), where No. 83 in the ITA Singles Rankings, de Villiers he earned a degree in physical therapy. Prior was also a standout doubles player, twice earn- 3 2015 UCLA MEN’S TENNIS Player Biographies Gage BRYMER Sophomore 6-0 Right-Handed Irvine, Calif. University HS Career Singles Record Career Doubles Record Year Duals Tournaments Overall Year Duals Tournaments Overall 2013-14 18-3 9-3 27-6 2013-14 9-6 1-2 10-8 2013-14 Ended the season with a 27-6 overall singles record … Tied fellow freshman Mackenzie McDonald for the team lead in dual-match victories with 18 … Played mostly at the No.