University Southern California Trojans
USC To Honor Dick Leach On April 16
March 23, 2010 | Men's Tennis
March 23, 2010
The USC men's tennis team will honor former Trojan coach Dick Leach on April 16 at Marks Stadium when USC hosts UCLA in Pac-10 action. Leach led the Trojans to seven Pac-10 championships and four NCAA titles during his tenure at Troy. A plaque commemorating his success and contribution to the USC tennis program will be installed in front of Marks Stadium.
"Dick Leach set the standard for USC, and that is something I try to have the team live up to everyday," current USC head coach Peter Smith said. "It is a great day when we can recognize him and honor what he and his players did for the university."
A five-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year and the 2002 ITA Coach of the Year, Leach won NCAA championships in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 2002 while at USC. He spent 22 seasons as head coach of the Trojans since joining George Toley as co-head coach in 1980. From 1981-2002, his players earned 64 All-American selections.
Former players and USC athletic director Mike Garrett will speak at the April 16 ceremony to honor Leach. The USC-UCLA match that day is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.
This will be the third clash of the year between the Trojans and the Bruins. USC recorded its first back-to-back wins against crosstown rival UCLA since 1991 with the Trojans' 6-1 win over the Bruins on March 3 at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. USC had claimed a 4-0 win over UCLA earlier this year at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. The last time USC claimed three wins over UCLA in a single season was in 1987 -- with head coach Dick Leach at the helm. The April 16 match also could well be a battle for the Pac-10 team championship.
