Former University of Portland All-American tennis star, Travis Parrott accepted the position of volunteer assistant coach for the Pilots, as announced by Head Men’s Coach Aaron Gross on June 4, 2004. Parrott, who finished his career on The Bluff in 2002 and is currently competing on the ATP tour, still spends much of his time in Portland working with Pilot coach Gross on his game.
Parrott is recently competed in the French Open and is currently ranked No. 75 in the world on the ATP doubles tour. He is one of the few players that spent four years in college and found a high degree of success in the pro ranks.
UP and Parrott seem to be a great match. Parrott had the opportunity to develop his game under his longtime coach Gross, and the Pilots gained a player that has left a lasting legacy on the program. Parrott is Portland’s first and only tennis All-American.
Parrott’s collegiate achievements include being the single-season record holder in single-match wins after producing a 39-9 record in 2002, and his 30 doubles wins with teammate Peter Malacek in 2002 earned him another single-season record. Parrott was ranked as high as 40th in the country in 2002 and he was named the US Bank Athlete of the month (February 2002) and the WCC Doubles Player of the Month (February 2002 with teammate Malacek). He was named an NCAA All-American in 2002 after a phenomenal run in the 2002 NCAA tournament. His tournament finish is the best for a Pilot since the mid-fifties when Jack Neer, Jerry Doyle and Jim Flynn all made the national quarterfinals with Flynn making the semifinals in 1952.
Parrott transferred to the University of Portland after spending his first three years at the University of Georgia. As a member of the Bulldogs, Travis won the NCAA team national championship as well as the double championship with partner Matias Boeker in 2001. The Portland native decided to play his senior year for his junior tennis coach, current Pilot head coach, Aaron Gross. The decision to come back and play for Gross allowed Travis to have the most successful season any Pilot has had on “The Bluff”.
“I am so proud of what Travis has accomplished in his tennis career,” said Gross. “He has won two NCAA team championships; an NCAA doubles championship, became an All-American in singles, won an ATP tour doubles event in Los Angeles in 2004 and is now ranked among some of the top doubles players in the world. I am just happy to have been a part of some of these remarkable achievements.”
Parrott is not sure exactly how the coaching will fit into his schedule, but he is excited to help out.
“I have a strong belief in what Aaron (Gross) and his staff have to offer young people in the program,” said Parrott. “A lot of the players that come here aren’t widely recruited, but they are really hungry to get better and learn. History has proven that they do get better at a rapid rate. I have learned a lot from Aaron through the years and I have also learned a lot playing on the tour. I think that I can add the extra dimension to the staff that would be valuable to the players.
“I hope to play on the tour for the next 10 years,” continued Parrott. “I will be with the UP staff in whatever capacity I can, as long as Aaron wants me around.”