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UNF Ospreys men's tennis coach Matt Lucas resigns after seven years, five ASUN titles

University of North Florida men's tennis coach Matt Lucas led the Ospreys to a combination of five ASUN regular-season and tournament championships in seven years.
University of North Florida men's tennis coach Matt Lucas led the Ospreys to a combination of five ASUN regular-season and tournament championships in seven years.

University of North Florida men’s tennis coach Matt Lucas has resigned after seven seasons in which he led the Ospreys to three regular-season ASUN championships and two tournament titles.

In a release from the UNF athletic communications department, Lucas “moves into a new phase of his life and career with his family.” His final day will be June 30 and athletic director Nick Morrow said a nationwide search has begun for his replacement.

The Ospreys won both this season, going 8-0 to give them a 21-3 regular-season record in the conference over the past three seasons. UNF was 85-59 (.596) under Lucas, and 33-9 in the ASUN.

"We are grateful for coach Lucas and his tenure as the UNF Men's Tennis Coach,” Morrow said in a statement. "He is leaving the program with an undefeated conference record, national team ranking, regular season championship, tournament championship, and NCAA Tournament berth. The program is certainly in a better place than when he arrived.”

UNF finished No. 70 in the ITA team rankings. Doubles team Jonas Hartenstein and Rodrigo Crespo are 44th in the nation and Hartenstein is No. 118 in singles. Hartenstein was the ASUN Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year and he and Crespo were the doubles team of the year.

Lucas earned his second ASUN Coach of the Year award. His teams earned 17 All-ASUN awards and six ASUN All-Academic team berths.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Matt Lucas, who guided UNF tennis to five ASUN championships, resigns