Patton Leaving Boise State for USTA Job

Greg Patton, one of the nation’s top college tennis coaches, has resigned at Boise State to become a USTA national coach, effective at the end of the season.

Patton coached at UC Irvine from 1980-92 and also spent four seasons coaching the Newport Dukes in World Team Tennis. He will help develop junior players in the western United States.

“I’ll be working with their teaching pros and coach at camps and international events,” Patton said. “I feel like Johnny Appleseed. I’m to spread the seed of tennis and then hope there’s a lot of fertilizer.”

Patton built the Anteater program into a national power, finishing fourth nationally in 1989 and sixth in 1988. He went to Boise State in 1993 and won four consecutive Big Sky championships.

The Broncos won the Big West Conference last year and were ranked as high as second in the nation before finishing sixth. Patton is 111-39 at Boise State and 462-223 in 21 years of coaching.

“I’m going to miss college tennis, it’s all I’ve ever known,” Patton said. “But I feel like FDR drafted me. I have to do this for my country.”