Ivan Fernandez is now in his Seventh season as director of the NM State Tennis Center and head coach of the Aggie women's tennis team.
The Aggies continued their dominance in conference play in 2015-16, posting an undefeated record of 5-0 and captured NM State’s first Western Athletic Conference regular-season title since joining the league. NM State’s quest to repeat as WAC Champions fell short, however, as it fell in the championship match of the WAC Tournament.
Senior Ashvarya Shrivastav was named the WAC Player of the Year and earned first-team honors in singles while freshman Eli Arnaudova earned second-team honors in singles. The No. 1 doubles team of Gabrielle Joyce and Erika Castillo Lopez grabbed second-team honors in doubles along with Chloe Jolliff and Lindsay Harlas at No. 3 doubles.
After falling in the tournament championship in 2013-14, Fernandez guided a dominant Aggie team in 2014-15 to their first WAC Tournament title ever in program history. NM State swept both Seattle and UT-Pan American (now UT Rio Grande Valley), 4-0, and earned an automatic bid to its first appearance at the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies would fall to No. 16-seed Texas Tech, 4-0, but not before posting their most historic season ever. NM State finished the year with a 13-11 overall mark and 4-1 record in WAC play.
A handful of Aggies also landed on the All-WAC teams after blowing by their opponents in both the regular season and conference tournament. Susana Alcaraz and Shrivastav were both named First-Team All-WAC in singles, while Rimpledeep Kaur earned Second-Team All-WAC honors. In doubles play, Shrivastav and Denise Van Der Ben also earned First-Team All-WAC recognition.
Six Aggies were named to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Academic team while five earned all-academic honors from the WAC.
Fernandez led the Aggies to the championship match of the WAC Tournament in Las Cruces during the 2013-14 season. He coached Alcaraz and Shrivastav to second team All-WAC honors while also seeing seven of his players make the Academic All-WAC list. NM State finished the 2013-14 season with an 11-12 record.
Fernandez emphasizes success, not only on the court, but in the classroom as well. His teams have been recognized with the ITA All-Academic Award every season he has been at the helm. Under Fernandez, the Aggies have tallied 18 All-WAC honors and 42 Academic All-WAC selections.
In his first season as head coach in 2011, Fernandez guided a youthful Aggie squad to a 12-7 record. After a season-opening loss at No. 35 UNLV, NM State rattled off six straight wins for their new head coach to begin the year 6-1. The Aggies also ended the regular season with three straight wins, including two over WAC opponents to finish the season 3-3 in the league. Junior Manon Sylvain was named to the All-WAC Tournament team after a solid showing for the Aggies.
In 2010, senior Sophia Marks ended a spectacular career under the direction of Fernandez by collecting two of her five career conference accolades - tied for second-most in NM State history. Marks earned second-team honors in singles and in doubles with partner Sylvain.
The Aggies finished the 2009 season with a 10-13 record. That season, the No. 1 women's doubles team of Aleksa Costa and Marks became the first nationally ranked Aggie duo in program history. Marks led the team and received Second-Team All-WAC accolades for the second-straight year in singles.
NM State completed 2008 with a 12-10 record. Fernandez guided Stephanie Eusebe and Marks to second-team all-league honors in singles. Additionally, Marks and Costa were named to the conference's second team in doubles.
His 2002 squad's 17-6 record stands second all-time for most wins in a single season and marks the fewest losses in a year in program history.
After his first three years with NM State from 2000-2003, Fernandez spent the 2004 season as a women's assistant coach and college instructor at Florida International University in Miami, Fla. Following his stint at FIU, he was an assistant coach for the men's team at East Tennessee State. That season he helped guide the Buccaneers to a 2005 Southern Conference Championship and an NCAA bid following a perfect 13-0 conference record.
Fernandez is a P1 Certified Tennis Professional with the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) and has taught tennis since 1990.
A native of Puerto Rico, Fernandez earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. He and his wife, Lausanne, reside in Las Cruces.
