Aztec Men’s Tennis Coach, 1977-1988
The San Diego Tennis Hall of Fame selected Aztec Coach Skip Redondo as a member of its 2024 class of honorees and welcomed him in August at the Balboa Tennis Club.
Redondo coached the Aztec men’s team for 11 years, 1977-88, a critical period when the university decided to cancel the men’s tennis program to help finance newly required women’s athletic teams under a federal law called Title IX.
Redondo’s successful effort to persuade the university’s president to reverse his decision was praised by Jim Lackritz, Hall of Fame Master of Ceremonies:
“I would say that he is singlehandedly responsible for keeping the men’s tennis program in.”
Redondo thanked Lackritz and added:
“I had to raise 70,000 dollars for the 10 years that I was coaching there, but it wasn’t me that raised it, it was the community of San Diego and the San Diego tennis patrons, you were the ones that saved the program.”
Redondo pointed to the current Aztec Men’s Coach, Gene Carswell, sitting in the Balboa Tennis Club audience.
“Every time I go to San Diego State,” he said, “Carswell tells his players, “See this guy (Redondo), he saved your program. (Carswell) he’s doing an awesome job and I’m really proud of him. I’m proud of everybody that helped me save the program.”
Redondo is the third member of his family honored by the Hall of Fame.
His sister, Marita, was a WTA pro with a top 20 ranking. His brother Walter was nationally ranked as a junior and an ATP Pro.
