Frog Alum Tjia Named Assistant Tennis Coach
11/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Nov. 3, 2010
FORT WORTH - Former TCU men's tennis letterwinner Mark Tjia has been named the program's full-time assistant coach, head coach David Roditi announced Friday. Tjia lettered four years for the Horned Frogs between 1989 and 1992.
Tjia joins TCU after serving as the Head Tennis Professional at the 300 Swim & Tennis Club in Gainesville, Fla., since 1997. He was a volunteer coach last season for the Florida women's tennis team that reached the final round at the NCAA Team Championship. The Gators dropped a 4-3 decision to national champion Stanford in the final match.
"I am very excited to have Mark back at TCU as our assistant coach," Roditi said. "We have known each other for a long time, and his character has always stood out. He brings a lot of passion, intensity and knowledge to our program. He is a man of integrity, and his success as a college player at TCU and professional player and coach will help our program reach our future goals. We hope to have Mark in our program for a long time."
Tjia played singles and doubles for three top-10 Horned Frog between 1989 and 1992, including the 1989 squad that reached the semifinal round at the NCAA Championships. A native of Gainesville, Fla., Tjia played his entire college career under legendary former TCU coach Tut Bartzen.
"I am thrilled to be back at TCU," Tjia said. "This school has such a special place in my heart. To have an opportunity to come back to TCU and work alongside a great coach and person in David Roditi is the best scenario I could have ever hoped for."
After receiving his bachelor's degree in business administration from TCU in 1992, Tjia participated for several years on the ATP pro circuit. He achieved a high world ranking of No. 589 in singles in November 1994. After his playing days, he served as a coach on the WTA Tour and wrote and published the book "Loving the Battle!" - Tips to Improve Your Tennis Performance.
Tjia is married to the former Jenna Blythe, and the couple resides in Fort Worth.
