Assistant coach Daniyal Robinson will not return to UH after deciding to leave for the same position at Loyola University, head coach James Dickey announced Tuesday.
After three years as an assistant coach at UH Daniyal Robinson will take the same position at Loyola University. | File Photo/The Daily Cougar
Robinson arrived at UH in 2010 and was one of Dickey’s first hires. In his three years at the University, Robinson aided the Cougars to a total of 47 wins and a berth in the College Basketball Invitationals earlier this year.
Robinson said he will miss the University and the people he built relationships with.
“While it is hard to leave Houston and the friends we have made here, we look forward to being closer to our families. I am grateful for the opportunity Coach Dickey and the Athletics administration gave me during the last three years,” Robinson said.
At Loyola, Robinson will be reunited with head coach Porter Moser, who he worked for as an assistant when they were at Illinois State from 2003-07 and at ULAR from 2000-03.
Dickey said the search for the replacement for Robinson will begin immediately.
Tennis champion
UH women’s tennis signee Despoina Vogasari won her second professional title of the summer and junior Elena Kordolaimi earned her first-career Women’s Tennis Association ranking after their week at the Jolie Ville Golf F24 Women’s Open in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Both competed as amateurs in the tournament.
Vogasari took five consecutive wins and four in straight-sets to win her second career professional singles title and her third championship this year.
“Even though she stopped competing in junior events a couple of years ago, she is clearly one of the top 18-and-under tennis players in the world and has set a goal for herself to have a high enough professional ranking to be considered for a wild card to the U.S. Open junior event in late August,” said head coach Patrick Sullivan.
After earning Conference USA second team Honors in her first year at UH, Kordolaimi qualified for the main draw with a straight-sets victory before tacking on another win in the tournament’s first round en route to earning her spot in the WTA rankings.
“With Elena, I couldn’t be more proud of her,” Sullivan said. “Together we made a list of long-term personal goals for her when she began college, and this was the first one on the list.”
Vogasari and Kordolaimi played together in doubles action, as they posted two victories before coming up short in the semifinals.
Golf signee
Courtney Ferguson, a former Oklahoma State women’s golfer, will join the UH women’s golf program during its inaugural 2013-14 season.
Ferguson
Ferguson will join other signees — Emily Gilbreth and Kelli Rollo — as the first members of the Women’s Golf program. They will all compete for the first time under the tutelage and leadership of head coach Gerrod Chadwell next season.
“Courtney is a great player. She brings leadership and experience into a young team, and I look for her to help our younger players, on and off the course,” Chadwell said, who joined the Cougars from Oklahoma. “It will be nice to have an upperclassman like Courtney working with our young players in 2013-14 and in the future.”
Ferguson was a two-year letter winner while at OK State, as she competed in eight events. As a freshman in the 2011-12 campaign, she competed in two tournaments. Ferguson is a Houston native and attended Clear Lake High where she earned All-State honors during her junior and senior seasons. She also helped lead her Falcons to three regional titles and a pair of district championships.
Her uncle, Scott Ferguson, from 2000-02, earned two letters at UH and was a member of the 2001 Conference USA Champions.
Director of golf Jonathan Dismuke was excited about his new signee.
“We are really happy to have Courtney as a member of our team,” Dismuke said. “This shows the early impact that Gerrod has already made.”
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