TEMPE, Ariz. (June 9, 2026) – ETSU Director of Tennis Ricky Rojas was named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA)/Dunlop Ohio Valley Region Men's Tennis Coach of the Year on Tuesday.
 
"It is a tremendous honor to be recognized after a great season by our region," said Rojas. "I'm thankful for our team's hard work throughout the season and that it is being recognized on a national level."
 
Rojas, one of 13 coaches named Regional Coach of the Year on Tuesday, guided the Buccaneers to one of their best seasons in recent memory in 2026. ETSU went 21-4 and won the Southern Conference (SoCon) Regular Season Championship. The 21 victories were the most for the program since 2007 (23). The Bucs reached as high as No. 60 in the ITA National Rankings and won a school-record 21 matches in a row. When the winning streak ended, it was the longest in Division I men's tennis at the time.
 
Individually, the Bucs were led by Oscar Martinez and Martin Vergara. Martinez became the seventh ETSU player to be named the SoCon Player of the Year and earned a conference record six SoCon Player of the Week awards. Martinez and Vergara formed one of the top duos in the country, competing in the NCAA Doubles Championships in the fall and spending several weeks ranked by the ITA.
 
Rojas also earned SoCon Men's Tennis Coach of the Year honors following the 2026 season. It is the third time Rojas has won the accolade in his career, coaching ETSU's men's program. Furthermore, Rojas reached 200 career victories in 2026, leading both of ETSU's tennis programs with the men's victory over Samford on March 29.
 
For more information on Buccaneer men's tennis, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men's tennis tab.