Photo courtesy: Crash Kamon, CUI Athletics
PROVO, Utah - BYU men’s tennis head coach Zack Warren announced the hiring of Jonathan Sanchez as assistant coach Tuesday, marking a return for the former BYU men’s tennis player who competed from 2004-08.
Sanchez comes back to Provo after having spent the previous 13 years as head coach for Concordia University Irvine men’s and women’s tennis.
“Jonathan is a high-character individual,” Warren said. “He brings 13 years of collegiate head coaching experience to the team. He will be instrumental in helping the team maximize its potential on and off the court. He played No. 1 for the Cougars, and I know he is excited to return to Provo with his family.”
At Concordia, Sanchez mentored 11 All-American student-athletes while helping the Golden Eagles make the move from an NAIA school to the NCAA Division II ranks in 2017. Since beginning his head coaching tenure in 2010, he oversaw a combined 277 wins (150 women, 127 men). Most recently, he guided the 2023 and 2021 women’s teams to 16-5 and 15-5 finishes, respectively, earning NCAA West Regional appearances after placing third in the PacWest Conference both years. The men’s team has also earned NCAA West Regional appearances in two of the past three seasons.
Sanchez is a two-time conference coach of the year, winning the award in the PacWest and the GSAC (Golden State Athletic Conference).
He led the 2020 men’s Golden Eagles squad to a 9-2 record and the program’s highest ITA national ranking (No. 12) before postseason play was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2018, he coached the men to a third-place finish at the PacWest Championships.
In each of his first five seasons at Concordia, he took both men and women squads to the NAIA Championships. He has overseen academic success from student-athletes as well. This past summer, 14 Concordia tennis players were named ITA Scholar-Athletes.
As a student-athlete at BYU, Sanchez served as team captain during his senior campaign. He closed out his collegiate career at No. 1 singles and doubles on the team and ranked No. 24 in the final ITA Mountain Region singles rankings. His 33 career doubles victories with teammate Christian Hand are good for sixth all-time at BYU. He is also sixth all-time among Cougars in single-season doubles victories, notching 22 in 2007 with Hand.
“BYU holds a special place in my heart and I'm excited to return,” Sanchez said. “The time I spent at BYU and playing on the men's tennis team are some of my most cherished memories. I am eager to contribute towards creating a similar experience for future generations of Cougars. I would like to express my gratitude to Tom Holmoe, Brian Santiago, and Zack Warren for giving me the opportunity to work with some of the country's finest student-athletes and continue the legacy of success of the BYU men's tennis program.”
Originally from Fullerton, Calif., Sanchez is married to Jennifer Sanchez. Jonathan and Jennifer have two children.