Women's Tennis
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- nicholas.dargene@usafa.edu
- Phone:
- 719-333-9278
Nick Dargene enters his eighth season at Air Force in 2018-19 and fourth as associate head coach since returning to the Academy in the summer of 2015.
“I am extremely excited for our program to have Coach Dargene back and to be named associate head coach. He has a proven record of success at every program he has been associated with,” Gidley said. “We expect our program to be consistently competitive at the national level and his energy, dedication and expertise is a big part of what he can offer on a daily basis. Having been associated with USAFA for four years previously, he understands the type of quality cadets we will be recruiting to help produce officers of character, while being competitive in the Mountain West.”
Dargene returns to the Academy, where he was assistant coach from 2008-12, after three years at Arizona. He helped the Wildcats to their 20th NCAA tournament appearance in 2014. Arizona also finished with a program-best 17-6 overall record and No. 23 national ranking that season. Dargene earned ITA Southwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year honors that season.
Dargene helped the Falcons to great success in his first stint with the program. After winning just six matches prior to his arrival, Dargene helped the Falcons to 59 wins in the next four seasons. The 2012 season featured a school-record fifth-place finish in the Mountain West and a 17-8 overall record. In addition, the Falcons broke another record by posting three consecutive 16-win seasons and had multiple all-conference and academic all-conference selections.
In 2011, Dargene was named the ITA Mountain Region Assistant Coach of the Year. In addition to his tennis accolades, Dargene earned two teaching honors while working in the physical education program. In addition, player Cissie Leary won the first of two sportsmanship awards. He helped the team to a 16-win season in 2010 and the national community outreach award.
Before joining the Falcon coaching staff, Dargene spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the women’s tennis team at the University of Wyoming. In his second season, he led the Cowboys to the best win/loss record and best MWC record in the program’s history.
Prior to working at Wyoming, he spent three years as a volunteer assistant tennis coach and administrative intern at his alma mater, the University of Iowa. He led the Hawkeyes to three-consecutive NCAA appearances and achieved yet another school record with their 18-6 regular season and 9-1 Big 10 finish.
During that time, he served as the head tennis professional and program coordinator at the University Athletic Club (June 2004-June 2006), while providing tennis lessons for the University of Iowa’s Recreation Services Department (June 2002-June 2006). His responsibilities included all aspects of tennis management at the club which entailed private lessons, junior programs, adult clinics and leagues.
Dargene began his collegiate career as a student-athlete at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. He compiled winning records at the Nos. 2 and 3 singles positions and the Nos. 1 and 2 doubles spots. He was also honored as the NEC Athlete of the Week and received the Most Improved Athlete Award given by his team during his sophomore season.
An avid tennis player, he started taking lessons at the age of five and began playing in junior tournaments when he was 12. Throughout his juniors career, he was a highly-ranked USTA player in the Northern Illinois District, including being ranked number one in the USTA boys 18 and under in 1998. In high school, Dargene was a three-time state qualifier earning all-conference honors twice and all-state once. During that time, he was named the team MVP as a junior and senior, while being named a team captain.
Dargene earned a bachelor’s of business administration in marketing with a minor in political science from Iowa in 2003. He completed his master’s in sports and health studies from Iowa in December of 2006. He is a USPTA certified teaching professional and a USRSA certified racquet technician.
