Why ODU Tennis Keeps Winning | Dom Manilla & Dominik Mueller
Why does Old Dominion continue to win at such a high level in college tennis? ODU Women's Tennis Head Coach Dom Manilla and ODU Men's Tennis Head Coach Dominik Mueller join Aaron and Mike for a wide-ranging conversation about the championship culture both programs have built — and what it takes to sustain that success as college athletics changes around them. The two Doms take us inside their different approaches to recruiting, roster construction, NIL and the transfer portal, including why Mueller believes the portal has actually opened doors for ODU to land better freshmen. They also tackle a much bigger issue facing college athletics: tennis programs around the country being eliminated as athletic departments face increasing financial pressure. Manilla explains why winning, fundraising, community support and running a first-class program have never been more important. Plus: 🎾 Why ODU tennis has been so consistently successful 🎾 The culture behind both programs 🎾 International recruiting and developing players at ODU 🎾 Why Fowlkes-Stevens is a major advantage 🎾 ODU's changing campus and student-athlete experience 🎾 The addition of Ashley Anthon to the women's tennis staff 🎾 NIL, the transfer portal and college tennis' new “money race” 🎾 The alarming disappearance of college tennis programs 🎾 Pickleball invading the tennis world 🎾 ODU's growing pipeline to professional tennis 🎾 Yuliia Starodubtseva's rise on the pro tour 🎾 Who wins if Dom plays Dom? 🎾 Rafa, Djokovic, Sabalenka and the best players they've seen live 🎾 Why college tennis is NOTHING like the country-club version you see on TV 🎾 And the proper way for Monarch Nation to get LOUD at an ODU tennis match Manilla's challenge to Monarch Nation is simple: come to one ODU tennis match and see if you don't want to come back. ODU Women's Tennis opens its home schedule January 30 against Florida State, followed by home matches with Kansas and Maryland in early February. 🌐 ODUMonarchists.com Subscribe to The Monarchists for conversations with the players, coaches and people who make Old Dominion athletics what it is. Be a Monarchist. This episode is presented with support from the Old Dominion Athletic Foundation. Become a member and help create winners in the classroom, in athletic competition and in life. Go Monarchs! #ODU #OldDominion #ODUTennis #OldDominionTennis #Monarchs #MonarchNation #TheMonarchists #CollegeTennis #sunbelt Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Dom & Dommer 01:00 The State of ODU Tennis 02:30 The Pressure to Keep Winning 04:00 Why Does ODU Tennis Win So Much? 07:30 Building Fowlkes-Stevens 09:30 Recruiting Internationally 11:30 What Makes the Ideal ODU Tennis Recruit? 13:30 Bringing International Players to ODU 15:45 How Much Has ODU Changed? 18:00 The Student-Athlete Dining Hall & Selling ODU 20:00 Ashley Anthon Joins ODU Women's Tennis 23:00 NIL, the Transfer Portal & 5-for-5 24:00 Why the Transfer Portal Has HELPED ODU 27:00 The New “Money Race” in College Athletics 27:30 Why College Tennis Programs Are Disappearing 30:00 Winning, Fundraising & Protecting Your Program 32:00 Pickleball Takes Over 35:00 Agassi, Jack Sock & Tennis Stars Playing Pickleball 38:30 ODU's Pipeline to Professional Tennis 40:00 Yuliia Starodubtseva & ODU on the Pro Tour 42:00 Rapid Fire: Dom vs. Dom 43:30 Where ODU Tennis Players Eat 45:30 Grass, Clay or Hard Court? 48:00 Rafa, Djokovic & Sabalenka 49:00 Creating an Elite ODU Tennis Atmosphere 50:00 College Tennis Is NOT a Country-Club Sport 54:30 How Monarch Nation Should Cheer at Tennis 58:00 Players, Officials & Talking Trash 1:00:00 Florida State Comes to Norfolk 1:01:00 Go Monarchs!
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