On January 28, 2023, more than 300 friends and alumni of the Bulldog tennis program joined together to celebrate the dedication of the Coach Jim Verdieck Tennis Center. With 12 lighted courts on a post-tension concrete playing surface, this brand-new facility improves the overall experience of the Bulldog tennis student-athletes with a modernized space that allows the men and women to compete simultaneously. In addition, it further enhances the recruiting opportunities for both programs.
Named after Jim Verdieck, the University of Redlands tennis courts honor a great coach and an impressive tradition of success. From 1946 through 1984, Verdieck coached the Redlands men's tennis team to 921 victories and only 281 defeats. His teams captured 34 titles in only 38 years of SCIAC competition and boasted 15 national championships. In addition, his football teams went 36-21-2 from 1953 to 1958. The Bulldogs proved perfect in 1956 with a 10-0 record.
“There is something very appropriate, even profound, about the fact that we are going to take the asphalt of these very courts, grind it up, and use it for the base of our new facility,” noted Director of Athletics Jeff Martinez. “The sweat, work, effort, and even tears (both from the excitement of championships and the pain of defeat) that are the tradition of Bulldog Tennis are staying here. All that history remains on this ground.”
Redlands hosted the 2003 Division III Women's Tennis National Championships and looks forward to hosting more regional and national tournaments at the beautiful new facility.
For now, the Coach Jim Verdieck Tennis Center is only open to the Bulldog men's and women's tennis teams and students registered in a tennis class.