AMES, Iowa – Jaron Maestas, who has spent the past two seasons as the Associate Head Women’s Tennis Coach at the University of Kansas, has been named the 11th head coach of the Iowa State Women’s Tennis program, Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard announced today.
“We are excited to welcome Jaron and his family to Iowa State,” Pollard said. “We believe that his knowledge of the Big 12 Conference, coupled with his success as a head coach, have prepared him well to lead the Cyclones and build upon the strong foundation that our program has established over the last five years. He has a clear vision for the future of Cyclone Tennis, and we look forward to helping him execute that in the coming years.”
Maestas spent the last two seasons as the Associate Head Coach at Big 12 rival Kansas, where he helped the Jayhawks to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. KU went 15-11 in 2022, played in the NCAA Tournament and finished with a season-ending Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) ranking of No. 29; while the 2023 Jayhawks were 15-8, advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, and placed 23rd in the final ITA poll.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank Jamie Pollard and his incredible staff at Iowa State for a chance to be a part of this amazing University and program,” Maestas said. “My family and I look forward to calling Ames our new home. This athletic department has shown that with commitment and dedication, Iowa State can shine on the national stage.
“The approach and expectations won’t change,” he added. “We look forward to leading with passion, integrity and a commitment to excellence. Go State, A Storm is Coming!”
Before joining the KU staff, he spent five seasons as the head coach at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO), where he led the unheralded Bronchos’ program to a 78-22 (.780) record, a pair of Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) titles and four NCAA Division II Tournament appearances while earning two ITA Wilson Central Region Coach of the Year (2019, 2021) citations. Maestas’ 2021 UCO team finished 21-2 overall, won a program-record 19-straight matches at one point, swept the MIAA regular-season and tournament titles, advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Tournament and produced four All-Americans. The Bronchos were ranked No. 3 in the season-ending ITA poll, featured student-athletes ranked No. 3 and No. 5 nationally in singles as well as No. 2 and No. 10 in doubles, and Maestas earned ITA Wilson Central Region Coach of the Year honors.
Maestas’ 2019 Bronchos posted a 19-5 record, won the MIAA Tournament title and reached the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 16, while his 2018 squad tied the school’s then-single-season record for victories in a 20-4 campaign and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever. His first UCO team was 14-9 and lost in the championship match of the NCAA Central Regional Tournament.
“Jaron’s enthusiasm for Iowa State and his passion for the sport of tennis came through loud and clear in our conversations, and we believe that based upon his understanding of our program, Iowa State and the Big 12 Conference, he will be able to hit the ground running when he arrives in Ames,” said ISU Senior Associate Athletics Director/Sport Administration Dr. Calli Sanders. “His commitment to academic and athletic excellence was also evident during our discussions, and we believe that our student-athletes will continue to perform well in the classroom and on the court under his leadership. We are eager to have Jaron, Layne and their boys join our Cyclone family.”
Before taking the reins at Central Oklahoma, Maestas spent 11 years as the head professional at Tulsa’s Philcrest Hills Tennis Club. He coached 10 players at Philcrest Hills who went on to win Oklahoma state high school championships and 12 players from his program went on to play at the collegiate level.
The Las Vegas, N.M., native played collegiately at both Western New Mexico and New Mexico State before graduating from NMSU in 2005. He and his wife, Layne, have two children, Jaxton and Landon.
Maestas’ hire is contingent upon completion of the University background check process, and he will be awarded a five-year contract. He replaces Boomer Saia, who was named Clemson’s Head Women’s Coach on June 1 after leading the 2022-23 Cyclones to a 21-6 record and the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
What Others Say About Jaron Maestas:
Todd Chapman, Head Women’s Tennis Coach, University of Kansas:
“Iowa State hit a home run in hiring Jaron as its new head coach. Jaron is a tireless worker and recruiter and is a winner! More importantly than that, he is a great person who loves his players.”
Jamie Pollard, Director of Athletics, Iowa State University:
“We are excited to welcome Jaron and his family to Iowa State, We believe that his knowledge of the Big 12 Conference, coupled with his success as a head coach, have prepared him well to lead the Cyclones and build upon the strong foundation that has been established in our program over the last five years. He has a clear vision for the future of our program, and we look forward to helping him execute that in the coming years.”
Dr. Calli Sanders, Senior Associate Athletics Director/Sport Administration, Iowa State University:
“Jaron’s enthusiasm for Iowa State and his passion for the sport of tennis came through loud and clear in our conversations, and we believe that based upon his understanding of our program, Iowa State and the Big 12 Conference, he will be able to hit the ground running when he arrives in Ames. His commitment to academic and athletic excellence was also evident during our discussions, and we believe that our student-athletes will continue to perform well in the classroom and on the court.”
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