From player to coach, Dieffenbach leads tennis team

Never stop learning, always stay physically fit and always stay positive.

That’s been… Never stop learning, always stay physically fit and always stay positive.

That’s been George Dieffenbach’s formula for success, and it is a formula that has withstood the test of time.

Dieffenbach has been a head tennis coach at Pitt for the past 28 years. In that time, he’s seen the University, and especially the tennis program, go through many dramatic changes.

Dieffenbach’s career at Pitt began in 1972, when he joined the men’s tennis team as a freshman. As a player, Dieffenbach enjoyed a successful career. His 32 career singles wins place him in a three-way tie for 11th in school history.

After graduating in 1975, Dieffenbach took over as the head coach of the men’s tennis team at the age of 22. He was forced to make the transition from buddy to coach in only one year. And it’s a transition he says took him some getting used to.

“I was a head coach at 22,” Dieffenbach said. “I was a player the year before, then, all of the sudden, I go from being a friend to being a coach. It was bumpy for a couple of years. You can’t be friends with your players, but you want to be right there with them the whole way, helping them do well on the court and do well in the classroom.”

Doing well in the classroom is something Dieffenbach has always felt strongly about. In 1980, he received his master’s degree in secondary natural science education. He then earned his doctorate in the same field in 1988.

“I feel as though you should never stop learning,” Dieffenbach said. “Pitt was very kind to support me in those pursuits.”

In 1995, Title IX forced Pitt’s athletic department to make a number of changes. Oval Jaynes, Pitt’s athletic director at the time, added women’s soccer and softball as varsity sports. But in order to balance out the ratio of varsity sports offered to men compared to those offered to women, the decision was made to eliminate the men’s tennis and gymnastics programs. It was a hard time for Dieffenbach. The decision came at a time when the program was reaching its pinnacle of success.

“It was painful,” Dieffenbach said of the elimination of the men’s tennis program. “We had the best men’s team in the history of the school when that happened. We had just finished up eight winning seasons in a row. We had just come off of a huge win against Connecticut. Our students took their final exams, and after they had gone home, I got a phone call from the athletics director to come in for a meeting. It was a surprise, and unfortunate for those student athletes. To this day, I still feel bad for those guys who lost their opportunity.”

One year after losing the men’s program, Dieffenbach was able to turn tragedy into triumph. After guiding the women’s team to a successful season, Dieffenbach received the Allegheny Mountain District Coach of the Year Award.

“I felt honored that they chose me for that,” Dieffenbach said. “I’m just one of a lot of good coaches around here, and it was nice that they thought of me as [coach of the year].”

In addition to coaching, Dieffenbach is also a loving husband and father of two.

Dieffenbach also manages to find time to run marathons. It’s something he has been doing since 1978. In 2002 and 2003, he qualified and completed the Boston Marathon and is running it again on April 19. Fitness is an important aspect of life for Dieffenbach.

“I believe that you can never stop your fitness,” Dieffenbach said. “You need to keep active and keep competing.”

Last year, after the women’s team had suffered its eighth consecutive loss, Dieffenbach had just about run out of things to say to his team. He then announced to his players that he did not want to be called coach anymore. He told them that his new name was “Mr. Positive”. The team then responded by winning nine straight matches.

“Those are some of the fun things that are a part of coaching,” Dieffenbach said. “My name is still the same this year.”

Laura Pegula, the team’s top returning starter, says that the nickname is a perfect description of her coach.

“George never says anything bad,” Pegula said about her coach’s nickname. “He’s always looking for the good in anything.”

Dieffenbach looks at his team as an extension of his family. He feels that strong team chemistry, solid communication and a positive attitude are what can take a team to the next level.

“Its all about communication,” Dieffenbach said. “Its all about players working together as a team of individuals to achieve things. Our talent level has always been there, but I think when you have strong communication between players and coaches, that’s when you get things done. We’re like a family out there, and it’s hard to stop a team like that. This is the best women’s team we’ve ever had.”

At age 50, Dieffenbach says that coaching keeps him feeling young. Although he continues to get older, the players are always the same age.

“It’s like every year — I get a year older,” Dieffenbach said. “And every year, we continue to have freshmen coming in. Even though I’m 50, I still try to get to the players’ level in some way.”

Dieffenbach is planning on coaching the women’s tennis team for another eight years. He has set that target time because he is hoping to have the opportunity to coach his daughter, Sarah, and then retire when she graduates.

“I have a daughter who is a ninth grader,” Dieffenbach said. “And it would be great if she could come and play for us. And then, in her senior year, that would hopefully be my last year. That’d be a good way to graduate my daughter and to graduate me. Who knows if it’ll all work out like that? I’ve got to continue to work hard and produce for this department until then.”