Case Western Reserve University and the Department of Physical Education and Athletics were saddened to learn of the passing of Doug Mooney, former legendary tennis coach for the university.
Mooney served Case Institute of Technology and Case Western Reserve for all but one year of his entire professional career. He started as an assistant football coach in 1955, and then moved up to head coach two years later. He also coached the tennis team and was the intramural director.
“I was as lucky as anyone has ever been to be coaching at this university, mainly because of the type of students that were here… I had the best job that you could ever have,” said Mooney at the 2016 Spartan Club Hall of Fame banquet.
His most impressive coaching accomplishments came in the 1970s when he guided the Case Western Reserve men’s tennis team to Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Championships in every season but one from 1972 through 1979. His 1974 squad set a PAC record when it captured all six singles and all three doubles titles at the conference tournament. Overall, Mooney posted a 143-62 (.698) dual-match record in tennis. CWRU had 52 individual PAC champions during Mooney’s tenure.
Mooney was inducted individually into the Spartan Club Hall of Fame in 1996 and received the University Award for Athletic Excellence as a part of the 1972-79 men’s tennis teams in 2016.