Angelo Anastopoulo didn't know exactly what he was getting into.
It was the summer of 1991, just two years after he'd graduated from college, and the avid tennis player was undecided on law school. He was giving private tennis lessons, but had never seriously considered a coaching career.
The College was in need of a tennis coach, and Anastopoulo's friends encouraged him to apply.
"My first day on the job [then athletic director] Jerry Baker '74 gave me the keys and said, 'Go run a tennis program. Let me know if you have any questions,'" recalls Anastopoulo, who, at 24, was the youngest Division I tennis coach in the country.
Fast forward 18 years, and it's obvious Baker found the perfect fit.
Anastopoulo's career reached a high point in 2009, when he was named the Southeast Women's Coach of the Year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, the country's governing body for collegiate tennis. The accolade, along with also being named the Southern Division College Coach of the Year by the U.S. Professional Tennis Association, capped a banner season for the Cougars, who advanced to the NCAA tournament after claiming the SoCon tournament championship.
Anastopoulo's winning percentage is better than 70 percent (503-201 overall record) for his career, which includes 10 years at the helm of both the men's and women's programs and the last eight years in charge of the women's team.
Under his guidance, the program has grown immensely. The days of getting by with minimal equipment and spectators sitting atop bumpers of cars parked along Burns Lane seem like a distant memory. The Cougars are now well-settled into a top-notch new home, the College of Charleston Tennis Center at Patriots Point Athletics Complex, one of the SoCon's premier facilities.
"The best part has been seeing players succeed after they graduate and knowing I may have had a hand in that," says Anastopoulo, who has undoubtedly played a major role in more than a few lives.
"I might not have realized it at the time, but he helped me be the successful person I am today," says Jenna Marks Robbins '06, now a C.P.A. "He really pushed me, and pretty much everything I accomplished in college was because of him. He just cared so much and did everything he could for us. I'm so grateful I met him."
Anastopoulo also made a lasting impression on Casey Van Valkenburgh '97.
"Coach Angelo brought back my passion for the game," says Van Valkenburgh, a lawyer. "He knows how to motivate players and adjust to everyone. He made hard work fun, which isn't always easy. You know you always have a friend in Coach Angelo."
What's the secret to all his success?
"A lot of it's just been luck," Anastopoulo says. "I've never woken up and not wanted to go to work. You never know where your day is going to lead. I've had great players and parents who have trusted their children with me for four years. I strive hard each year and work as hard as I possibly can." 