Rider's Potkay Announces Retirement as Men's and Women's Tennis Head Coach
LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Rider University Men's and Women's Tennis Head Coach
Douglas Potkay has announced his retirement. Potkay spent the last seven years leading the Broncs' men's and women's tennis programs.
In his seven years overseeing the tennis programs, Potkay's student-athletes were named to the MAAC All-Academic Team 46 times (24 women, 22 men). In his third season, the women's team won four dual matches, giving them their best fall season in 10 years. Building on that success, the women's team won eight matches in 2016-17, the most for the program in more than a decade. This past season, the men's team earned a league win over Niagara and the women's team pushed 2019 league champion Fairfield, as well as MAAC Tournament qualifier Monmouth to 4-3 decisions.
"I want to thank Doug for his hard work and dedication to our men's and women's tennis programs over the last seven years and congratulate him on his retirement," said Rider Athletic Director
Don Harnum. "Doug took over a struggling tennis program and significantly increased the talent level, the expectations, and the results. I sincerely wish him and his family all the best in this next chapter."
Potkay, of Yardley, Pennsylvania, was hired as the men's and women's tennis coach at Rider on August 1, 2014. A former tennis player at Rider in 1971, Potkay went 12-0 as the number two singles player, helping the team earn a MAC (Middle Atlantic Conference) Championship during his freshman season.
"I enjoyed my years coaching both the men's and women's tennis programs," said Potkay. "It was very rewarding helping to develop the teams to successfully compete against our MAAC opponents. Though I will miss coaching, I look forward to spending more time with my family and grandchildren. Best of luck to the next coach and future tennis programs. I will be watching from the sidelines!"
After transferring to Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, Potkay helped the school establish its tennis program and he compiled a 32-3 record before graduating in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science degree with a Psychology and Political Science concentration.
Potkay was a tennis touring professional from 1977-1980 before a knee injury forced him to the sidelines and into coaching.
Potkay returned to the area in 1979, raising three kids and he worked as a teaching professional in the early 1980s at the Roger Wootton Tennis Camps (North Brunswick and Langhorne).
Potkay was inducted into the Flagler Hall of Fame in 2008 and, immediately prior to taking over his position at Rider, was the head coach of the boys' and girls' tennis teams at the Pennington School (Pennington, New Jersey) with the boys' team earning a share of the Prep 'B' State Championship.
Potkay also worked as the Director of Tennis at the Hopewell Valley Golf Club, organizing leagues, tournaments and drills.