Pandian named ITA Regional Coach of the Year

TEXT: ITA Regional Coach of the Year, Pauri Pandian
IMAGES: Pauri Pandian smiling (foregroun) and with arms folded and wearing a mask (background)

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Brandeis University men's tennis coach Pauri Pandian has been named the 2021 Northeast Region Men's Coach of the Year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).

Pandian, in his second season with the Judges, led Brandeis to a 6-1 record during the regular season, earning the team's first NCAA Division III Tournament berth since 1989 and the second in program history. In the postseason, Brandeis earned its first-ever NCAA tournament wins, defeating Grove City College, 5-0, in the first round, and Southern Virginia University, 5-3, in the second, before falling to eventual national champions Emory in the quarterfinals. 

In addition to their team success, the Judges had three players named All-American at the end of the season. Anupreeth Coramutla '21 was recognized for his singles play for the first time after earning doubles honors as a junior. Coramutla won his first-round match in the NCAA Division III Singles Tournament. Jeffrey Chen '22 and Adam Tzeng '22 were honored for their doubles play, as they advanced all the way to the finals of the NCAA Division III Doubles tournament. They defeated the top seeds from Case Western Reserve University in the process and held off six match points in the quarterfinals and semifinals. 

This is the second time that Pandian has been honored by the ITA. In 2015, he was named the organization's Northeast Regional Assistant Coach of the Year for both men and women, earning National Assistant Coach of the Year recognition on the women's side. 

Pandian's men's team will return five of six singles starters and four of six doubles starters to the lineup in 2021-22. 

For more information on Brandeis men's tennis, please visit our website at https://brandeis.prestosports.com/sports/mten/index

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