SAN ANTONIO – It was the people of UTSA and San Antonio who drew newly minted head men’s tennis coach Nick Castro to the position, and when Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Lisa Campos announced that he was the seventh head coach of the Roadrunners men’s tennis program in August, it was his new family that stood out most.
“I think the people here are incredible,” Castro said. “When I came here and was doing my interview, I thought about how important the people I surround myself with are, and knowing who would be supporting me was a big attraction. I wanted to feel that support not just for myself but for my family. When I was talking to Dr. Campos and [Senior Associate Athletics Director/Student-Athlete Academic Services] Shanda Hayden, their vision of what they wanted this program to be aligned with my philosophy. I want our guys to be successful on and off the court – to always be prepared. Not just on the court, but in life, to instill the proper values. I’m a big family-first guy, and I care a lot about our team. I want the players to know and believe in that family-first attitude as well. That’s important to our goals moving forward, and those goals will only be achievable once we lay that groundwork.”
Early in the fall slate and early in his first season as a college head coach, Castro stressed the importance of goal setting. He is focused on building a foundation early and providing a solid structure, which has helped the team excel. Ultimately, the Roadrunners want to win the conference, and at this point in the fall, Castro isn’t worried about wins and losses.
“Tennis is one of those sports where you have to have experience in all kinds of situations. The more matches you play, the more comfortable you will be in any situation. I challenged them to figure out our team’s identity. What are we going to be known for? How are we going to be on the court when we compete in the spring? We have to figure that out this fall. We’ve got to come in, and we’ve got to make sure we’re building that team identity, and we’re moving forward with that. That’s the core of our goals. That will help us get better as a program and as a team. We’re big on player development right now, so we can reach our goals in the fall and get everybody where they want to be at the start of the spring.”
Castro knew UTSA was the perfect fit, and the results quickly showed. UTSA started hot, going 14-1 in open singles and winning four flights at the 2026 Jake Frederick Memorial Islander Open. They followed that up with a strong showing at the ITA Texas Regionals – one of the toughest regions in the country. Three newcomers, Victor Rocha, Dmitri Goubin, and Gabriel Jalouneix, all made it out of qualifying into the main draw, while returners Timeo Bretin and Enzo Vargas each reached the consolation bracket semifinals.
“Our guys are phenomenal. They’re all great people, and they’re hungry to win. They’re hungry to get better. They’re hungry to rebuild the team culture. Our newcomers are four really good tennis players, so I’m in a very good situation. The three returners are great team leaders as well, so I’ve had a great pleasure and opportunity to be around eight amazing guys who want to be coached up, and we’re all hungry to get this program back up to its winning ways.”
Castro had an interesting journey to UTSA, including time as an assistant coach at Air Force, a head coach at IMG Academy and a full-time ATP touring coach. At Air Force, he helped the squad to wins over three ranked opponents and played a pivotal role in recruiting, signing a pair of top-10 mid-major recruiting classes in 2024 and 2026, according to tennisrecruiting.net, while landing the nation’s No. 1 recruit in 2024.
“At Air Force, it was very demanding in terms of high expectations and holding players to high standards. I’m trying to bring that here. To be a successful program, you have to have high expectations and standards. Beyond that, it’s the little things that build a winning culture and good habits.”
While working on the ATP Tour as the full-time touring coach for professional Mitchell Krueger, Castro was surrounded by professionals, which gave him unique insight into college coaching. Across all his stops, he saw incredibly high standards and a drive to win.
Castro has translated that experience into a coaching philosophy, as he recognized his players have ambitions to play professionally. To that end, Castro prioritizes honesty and transparency so the student-athletes know where they’re at and where they need to be.
That philosophy extends into how Castro recruits and coaches. With thousands of tennis players worldwide, he stressed the importance of finding the right guys, ones who match his values of being hardworking and coachable.
“I’m a big player development guy. I love to be hands-on with the guys and see how far I can improve their games. With eight guys on the team, everybody has a different type of identity on the court, and everybody has different skill sets. We have to maximize each player’s ability to do things well and continue to do it well, and to build on that, to build their player identity.”
Castro looks forward to what UTSA can achieve in the coming seasons, reflecting on the team’s past triumphs. The Roadrunners have made five NCAA Tournament appearances, most recently in 2023, when they earned their first-ever at-large bid and peaked at No. 34 nationally. Previously, UTSA has won five conference championships and will aim for its first since 2015.
“Historically, it’s been a great team, and I just think this program is destined to be great, and I know it can be. I knew it was important for me to be at a program where I know the place can be successful,” Castro concluded before a resounding “Birds Up!”
UTSA is back in action on Friday, Oct. 16, as they host the UTR Sports College Circuit at the UTSA Tennis Courts. The event will conclude on Sunday, Oct. 18, and entry will be free. A full schedule and results can be found at goUTSA.com/MTenResults.
Keep up with UTSA Tennis on goUTSA.com, and by following the program on Facebook at /UTSAMT, X at @UTSAMT, and on Instagram at @utsamtennis.
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