Entering his seventh year as head coach of the ETSU men’s tennis program, Yaser Zaatini continues to build upon the success his teams have achieved under his leadership. Zaatini was initially named the assistant coach of the men’s tennis program in the fall of 2002, but has taken on the larger responsibility of head coach since former head coach Dave Mullins was named as the director of athletics at ETSU. Since being named head coach, the four-time “Coach of the Year,” has not only sustained the Bucs great tennis tradition but he has pushed it to a new level, winning five conference championships and compiling a 123-33 overall record (.852 winning percentage).  

            Last season, Zaatini raised the bar even higher as the Bucs again went unbeaten in A-Sun play, again winning the regular and tournament conference championship. More importantly ETSU dropped BigEast conference champion Norte Dame 4-2, in the first round of the NCAA Championships. This marked the first-ever victory for ETSU in the NCAA tournament, as the Bucs finished with a program-best ITA rankings of 37th nationally and seventh regionally. Overall, Zaatini was again named A-Sun Coach of the Year, after the Bucs finished with a 25-4 overall record and heads into the 2008-09 season with a 24 match unbeaten streak in A-Sun play.

            In its previous year Zaatini led ETSU to a 23-5 overall record, while going a perfect 8-0 A-Sun conference play, winning both the regular season and championship titles. Zaatini’s 2007 team defeated No. 31 MTSU, as well as San Francisco, Texas-San Antonio, Nebraska and Wichita State. The Bucs also collected 14 shutout victories, including all eight against conference opponents in both the regular season and league tournament. The 2007 team also wound up in the ITA National Rankings again for the sixth year in a row, at No. 51, as well as a No. 13 regionally.

            Before competing fully in the A-Sun, Zaatini led the Bucs to a 20-4 overall record in 2005, while going undefeated for the second consecutive year in SoCon play, extending their SoCon winning streak to 26-0. Zaatini was named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season as the Bucs made their fourth NCAA tournament dropping a close match to No. 14 Tennessee.

            In 2004, Zaatini led the Bucs to their third NCAA appearance and first of his career as the men’s tennis program went 20-6 overall and was undefeated in SoCon play (10-0), winning both the regular season and championship titles. Zaatini would go on to earn his first of four career “Coach of the Year,” awards.

            As a player, Zaatini was the first individual from ETSU to compete in the NCAA Championships and is the only four-time Southern Conference tennis champion in No. 1 singles. In 1992, he was ranked as high as four in the nation in the ITA rankings, the highest ever for a Buccaneer tennis player. Zaatini was also a two-time ITA All-American (1992, 1993), becoming one of two (current ETSU senior Enrique Olivares) Bucs to earn that prestigious title.

            After graduation Zaatini became a member of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). He made appearances in the 1994 and 1995 Davis Cup tournaments, representing his home country of Venezuela.

            He returned to ETSU prior to his head coach assignment in the fall of 1996 to serve as a volunteer assistant with the Buccaneer program. Zaatini then went back to play professionally in Venezuela while managing the Zaatini Tennis Academy in his hometown of Maracay. He has served as the director of the academy for the last six years where Zaatini has taught nationally and internationally ranked juniors and professionals alike.

            The 37-year-old Zaatini is a 1993 graduate of East Tennessee State University and in 2004 Zaatini was recognized formally for his accomplishments when he was inducted into the ETSU Athletics Hall of Fame. Currently, Zaatini resides in Johnson City with his wife Gloria and their three sons, Yaser, affectionately known as “Yaby,” Sebastian, and Giancarlos.

The Zaatini File

As a coach

Education:

    East Tennessee State                1993

Playing Career:

    East Tennessee State           1990-93

Coaching Experience:

    Year  School                            Record

    2003  East Tennessee State     16-7

    2004  East Tennessee State     20-6

    2005  East Tennessee State     20-4

    2006  East Tennessee State     19-7

    2007  East Tennessee State     23-5

    2008  East Tennessee State     25-4

    Si x Years                                 123-33

SoCon Coach of the Year

2004

2005

Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year

2007

2008

As a player

All-American

1993, 1992

SoCon Player of the Year

1991, 1992, 1993

SoCon Tournament MVP

1990, 1993

No. 1 Singles Championships

1990, 1991, 1992, 1993

All-Time ETSU Singles Wins List

Single Season Wins:

      Name                          Year   Wins

1.   Yaser Zaatini             1991      42

2.   Yaser Zaatini             1992      39

3.   Marcos Pavlovich       1999      33

4.   Yaser Zaatini             1993      31

      Todd Hall                     1986      31

      Mark Lupton-Smith          1988      31

Career Wins:

1.   Yaser Zaatini.............. 134

2.   Gustavo Gomez............ 113

3.   Juan Yannuzzi............. 105