Roland Thornqvist
Encyclopedia
Roland Thornqvist is a Swedish
-born American college tennis
coach and former college tennis player. Thornqvist is the current head coach
of the Florida Gators women's tennis
team of the University of Florida
. He is best known for leading the Florida Gators to National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I national championships in 2003 and 2011.
in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
, where he played for the North Carolina Tar Heels
men's tennis team from 1990 to 1993. He was recognized as a three-time first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) selection in 1991, 1992 and 1993, and a first-team All-American in 1993. Thornqvist graduated from North Carolina with a bachelor's degree
in economics
in 1996.
women's tennis team at the University of Kansas
in Lawrence, Kansas
in 1997 and 1998. From 1999 to 2001, he was the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels women's tennis team at his alma mater
, the University of North Carolina.
In 2002, Thornqvist became the head coach of the Florida Gators women's tennis program at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
. Since then, Thornqvist has been one of the top college tennis coaches in the country. He has compiled a record of 249–30 overall at the University of Florida, and has an overall coaching record of 324–80. His teams have qualified for the NCAA Tournament every year since he has been the head coach of the Gators. In 2003 and again in 2011, the Gators women's tennis team won the NCAA Division I National Championship. Thornqvist's Lady Gators have also finished second in the NCAA tournament in 2002 and 2010.
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association
(ITA) named Thornqvist as its national Coach of the Year in 2011.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
-born American college tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
coach and former college tennis player. Thornqvist is the current head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Florida Gators women's tennis
Florida Gators women's tennis
The Florida Gators women's tennis team represents the University of Florida in the sport of tennis. The Lady Gators compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Southeastern Conference . They play their home matches in Linder Stadium on the university's...
team of the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. He is best known for leading the Florida Gators to National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division I national championships in 2003 and 2011.
College career
Thornqvist attended the University of North CarolinaUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
, where he played for the North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina Tar Heels
The North Carolina Tar Heels are the athletic teams for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State...
men's tennis team from 1990 to 1993. He was recognized as a three-time first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) selection in 1991, 1992 and 1993, and a first-team All-American in 1993. Thornqvist graduated from North Carolina with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in 1996.
Coaching career
Thornqviust was the head coach of the Kansas JayhawksKansas Jayhawks
The sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
women's tennis team at the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
in Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
in 1997 and 1998. From 1999 to 2001, he was the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels women's tennis team at his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, the University of North Carolina.
In 2002, Thornqvist became the head coach of the Florida Gators women's tennis program at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
. Since then, Thornqvist has been one of the top college tennis coaches in the country. He has compiled a record of 249–30 overall at the University of Florida, and has an overall coaching record of 324–80. His teams have qualified for the NCAA Tournament every year since he has been the head coach of the Gators. In 2003 and again in 2011, the Gators women's tennis team won the NCAA Division I National Championship. Thornqvist's Lady Gators have also finished second in the NCAA tournament in 2002 and 2010.
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association
Intercollegiate Tennis Association
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association is an organization of 1,500 coaches and 15,000 collegiate tennis players, encompassing more than 1,000 college tennis programs...
(ITA) named Thornqvist as its national Coach of the Year in 2011.
See also
- Andy JacksonAndy Jackson (tennis)David Andrew "Andy" Jackson is an American college tennis coach and former college player. He is the current head coach of the Florida Gators men's tennis team of the University of Florida...
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- History of the University of FloridaHistory of the University of FloridaThe history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university by the...
- List of Florida Gators tennis players
- List of University of North Carolina alumni
- University Athletic AssociationUniversity of Florida Athletic AssociationThe University Athletic Association, Inc. is a non-profit corporation that is responsible for maintaining the Florida Gators intercollegiate sports program of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida...
External links
- Roland Thornqvist – Official biography at GatorZone.com