Jim Evert was a Second-Team All-American in 1947.

Notre Dame Tennis Upgrades Courtney Tennis Center And Eck Tennis Pavilion

Aug. 29, 2008

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NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame men’s tennis team has seen significant changes to its facilities within the past year. The Courtney Tennis Center courts were resurfaced in August, while banners commemorating the 17 Notre Dame men’s tennis All-Americans were raised in the Eck Tennis Center. During the upgrade process, the coaching staff was also able to add state-of-the-art video equipment as well.

The Courtney Tennis Center has served as the home of Irish tennis since 1967, and it has been resurfaced for the first time since 2003.

“Wow, the new courts look great. Our guys are excited to get on them each day, it is really going to be a plus for us this year,” Head Coach Bob Bayliss said. The Center boasts 14 courts, a tournament center tower and seating on the north and west sides. Over the past 40 years, it has hosted many marquee events including, on three occasions, the NCAA Championships.

Another enhancement to the tennis facilities included the addition of 17 banners to the men’s side of the Eck Tennis Pavilion. The banners celebrate the 17 different Irish players who have earned All-America honors on 29 occasions from 1944-2007. The Irish All-Americans who each have a banner hanging above the courts of the Eck Tennis Pavilion include (in chronological order); Jerry Evert, Charles Samson, Jim Evert, Bill Heinbecker, Maxwell Brown, Don Ralph, Bill Brown. David DiLucia, Chuck Coleman, Will Forsyth, Todd Wilson, Andy Zurcher, Ryan Sachire, Javier Taborga, Casey Smith, Sheeva Parbhu and Stephen Bass.

“The banners have improved the Eck in two dramatic ways. Aesthetically they make the place look more alive and secondly, to surround our current players with all the past Irish greats really inspires them to work hard every day as they aspire to reach that level,” associate head coach Ryan Sachire said.

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The courts at the Courtney Tennis Center were recently resurfaced.

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In addition to the court resurfacing and the All-American banners, the coaching staff also added new video equipment. The technology includes Dartfish video capture and analysis capabilities to further the development of their student-athletes. Specifically, the equipment allows for enhanced viewing of a player’s swing.

“To see all the improvements at the Eck and the Courtney is really rewarding. The newly acquired Dartfish technology for our video systems has enhanced our ability to assist our players and their technical development,” Bayliss concluded.