Lucian Tabic has been named the head coach of Purdue University Northwest men’s and women’s tennis programs, as announced by PNW Athletic Director Rick Costello.
Tabic comes to Purdue Northwest after rebuilding the Roosevelt University (Ill.) men’s and women’s squads over the course of the past three seasons.
“We are excited to bring Lucian to PNW as one of our newest coaches of the Pride,” Costello said. “He has shown tremendous leadership in developing Roosevelt’s programs and we are excited to see what he can do at the helm of the Pride tennis teams.”
Tabic took the reins of the Roosevelt’s men’s and women’s tennis teams in late November 2013, and proceeded to lead the Lakers to 30-plus combined wins in those three seasons, the most in program history. In a complete rebuilding effort, Tabic recruited the program’s largest and highest-ranked class, including its first two international student-athletes.
With the men’s squad, Tabic took a team that finished 1-14 in its first campaign and then completely turned the tide in just one year, as the Lakers won 14 matches in his second season. He helped the team maintain that winning record in the third season with 10 more wins and a winning mark in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play, resulting in the program’s highest conference ranking since the team’s inception.
Both teams captured CCAC Champions of Character team award in Tabic’s tenure and were standouts in the classroom, where both squads maintained team grade point averages over 3.5, with the men’s team finishing with the second-highest GPA in the amongst all Roosevelt varsity teams.
The academic success continued in the form of conference and national awards, as the Lakers captured eight CCAC all-Academic selections and the program’s first-ever NAIA Scholar-Athlete honor. In 2014-15, the women’s tennis team became one of Roosevelt’s first NAIA Scholar-Teams.
“It’s an honor and privilege to be named the head coach for men’s and women’s tennis at Purdue University Northwest,” Tabic said.
"This is an exciting time as the university continues its growth in Northwest Indiana and surrounding communities. I look forward to working alongside our student-athletes and continue to help them get stronger in competition and in the classroom. I would like to thank Rick Costello and the athletic department for this incredible opportunity and for welcoming me into the PNW Pride family."
Tabic started his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s tennis teams at NCAA Division I Northern Illinois University beginning in 2007 before serving as a volunteer assistant at Roosevelt from 2011-12. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in international studies from Roosevelt and later earned his masters of science in sports management at NIU.
Certified by the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) and the United States Tennis Association (USTA), Tabic also served as the head tennis professional for the PGA Tour Superstore in Schaumburg, Ill. He was responsible for the start-up of that location's tennis program and the development of junior and adult tennis curriculums. He was also on staff at the Forest View Racquet and Fitness Club in Arlington Heights, Ill., where he taught adults as well as high-performance juniors.
“I want to thank Lucian Tabic for over three years of dedicated service to Roosevelt University,” said John Jaramillo, Interim Director of Athletics at Roosevelt. "He has worked tirelessly for our tennis programs and the cultivation of successful student-athletes on and off the courts is proof of that work.
"On behalf of Roosevelt, I wish Lucian all the best in this new endeavor at Purdue Northwest.”
Tabic will become the head coach of PNW men’s and women’s programs that enter their seventh season in 2016-17.