By Harry Minium
Norfolk, go. – Dominic ManillaThe former former Dominion who built the ODU female tennis program in one of the best in the country, will be awarded the J. Roy Rodman Prize awarded by Norfolk Sports Club to his choice as the best college coach in Virginie.
He will receive the prize at the 78th Jamboree of the Sports Club on Wednesday April 23 at the Chartway Arena. The former Women’s Basketball star of the ODU, Nancy Lieberman, will be the star lecturer.
Manilla teams won four consecutive conference championships – two at USA conference and two in the Sun Belt – and its monarchs are generally classified among the country’s 35 best programs.
The ODU made the last five NCAA tournaments, a race that started with an offer in general in 2019.
An ODU player has been appointed conference player of the year in the last five seasons and five of the last six years, Manilla has been appointed coach of the conference. Five players he trained participated in the NCAA simple tournament, especially Sofia Johnsonwhich ranked as high as n ° 7 in the country this spring.
He says that Norfolk Sports Club Award “is the most significant coach price I have ever received,” said Manilla. “It’s such a prestigious price and I am so grateful and honored.”
The prize, named after the late businessman and philanthrope of Portsmouth, has a distinguished list of ancient winners, notably the football coach of Virginia Tech, Frank Beamer, the basketball coach of Virginie Tony Bennett, the trainers of male basketball of the ODU, Paul Web, Sonny Allen and the female coaches ODU, Wendy Larry and Marianne Stanley.
Vice-President of Norfolk Sports Club, Jack Ankerson, who heads the Sports Club Prize Committee, and Carolyn Crutchfield, Odu Associate Athletics Director, met Manila in his office to tell him about the prize.
“It was really special for Jack and Carolyn to take the time to do so,” he said.
“When she (Crutchfield) called, I said to myself:” Oh no, is there a problem? ” But she told me that everything was fine, and I was overwhelmed when they told me the news.
“For Jack to come here and tell me personally, it was so chic.”
Manilla, 39, is from the county of Nelson, in Virginia, who cut his teeth by playing tennis. His father, Ron Manilla, is a longtime pro tennis in the Charlottesville region and his brother, Josef Manilla, is a former deputy coach of the college.
“He has a distinct pedigree because he comes from tennis royalty,” said Bruce Stewart, deputy sports director of the ODU and COO who is the administrator of male and female tennis.
Manila walked in Odu without a scholarship and played for the late Darryl Cummings, the long -standing male and female coach at the ODU. He was a young ODU assistant coach when Cummings announced that he would retire.
Cummings advised him to leave the ODU to gain more experience.
At that time, Manilla had attracted the attention of John McENROE, the former ardent American tennis star who won six Single Slam events. Manilla went to work with McENROE in her tennis academy on Randall Island in New York.
Part of the interview with McENROE was to play with him some tennis cycles.
“It was one of the coolest moments in my life,” said Manila.
But then he received a call from Stewart, who told him that he was on a short list of people envisaged to replace Cummings. Stewart chaired the selection committee that would hire male and female tennis coaches.
Gray Folkes and Ricky Stevens, for which the Tennis Center for Odu Folkes-Stevens is appointed, appeared in the selection committee. The Committee selected Manila as a new ODU women’s coach.
“Dom was critical because he could connect the points and was anchored with the tennis community Odu, as well as the former students,” said Stewart. “He had worked and played under Darryl and understood the college landscape of tennis.”
Manilla praised Dr. Wood Selig, director of athletics of the ODU, who, during his first year at the ODU, agreed to put more resources in male and female programs, in particular the restructuring of the program by hiring dedicated coaches for men and women.
“Wood and Bruce, they have always had their backs,” said Manila. “They provided the resources so that we succeed. Wood was extremely favorable. I couldn’t ask for better patterns.
“I have always appreciated Bruce’s advice and leadership over the years. Its impact, you cannot put words.
“I would jump for this type.”
“I said to Bruce, if I will train in Odu, we are not just going to be good. We are going to be great,” added Manila
“I am satisfied with what we have done. We worked hard. But I have the impression that we can improve, that we can and will do more. ”
The ODU program is the desire for most half-majeur schools, and the middle of the major is a term it does not like. “We think we have proven that we are a power program,” he said.
Manilla, now during her 14th season, is 210-94 at the ODU and many of these victories came against the schools of the Power 4. Since 2017-2018, the ODU has won 29 games against Power 4 schools, including the victories on Baylor, Notre Dame, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Lsu, Iowa State, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Penn State, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Florida State and Kansas.
The monarchs beat Southern Carolina in the last two years of the NCAA tournament and also beat Arkansas, 4-2, in the 2021 NCAA tournament.
Virginia Beach’s businessman, Brad Hobbs, a graduate and Booster by Virginia Tech, met Manilla’s father when her children trained in Charlottesville.
“He asked me,” Do you know my son? ” I didn’t do it, but I then met Dom and I started looking at what he does with Odu, “said Hobbs.
“Since then, I have become very involved with Odu tennis. Over the years, I have donated about $ 150,000 to the program and it’s because of DOM. It is an incredible fundraising. He is so passionate about his program and his daughters.
“Having a top 35 year after year program at the ODU is a success. And that’s all dom. People do not understand how difficult it is to do this year after year. People do not understand what he clashes.
“He goes hand in hand with the country’s largest programs and holds his. He’s just an incredible coach. ”
His teams were just as successful in class. Each stock market tennis player graduated and in general, his team is among the most successful on the academic campus.
Female tennis had the best average point among the 18 ODU athletics teams in 2023-24.
Manilla also developed a close relationship with male coach Dominik Mueller, whose program won the last two titles Sun Belt and also had great success against the Power 4 programs.
The Mueller team is classified 59th nationally, just behind North Carolina and in front of Northwestern and Notre Dame.
“Dominik and I are working well together,” said Manila. “We feed on each other.”
The Folkes-Stevens of Odu tennis center, a 74,000 square feet center with eight interior shorts and 12 outdoors, helped male and female programs to compete at the highest level.
Few mid-majeur programs have such exceptional tennis facilities.
“I consider the installation of Folkes-Stevens tennis as a champions center,” said Stewart. “The people who have seen our men and our women play say it is the best place to watch high level tennis in the Hampton Roads region.”
Manilla struck a home run seven years ago when he hired Yana SokolenkoWho is the associated head coach and a brilliant recruiter.
Originally from Minsk, Beloruss, Sokolenko is fluent in Russian and Spanish and four of the eight ODU players are native Russian speakers.
Sokolenko is also an excellent coach. She was once Miami’s head coach of Ohio, where she won two Mac titles in three seasons, and was the head coach associated with VCU for three seasons.
“Dom and Yana, it’s the dynamic duo right there,” said Stewart. “They complement each other very well. And it’s an excellent mentor for these young women.”
“Yana played a decisive role in our success in the recruitment of great players abroad,” said Manila. “Having someone who grew up near where you grew up, someone who talks about your language means a lot.”
“What makes Dom good,” added Stewart, “is how much he cares and is emotionally invested. When you go to a match for the senior day, and he talks about his players, you immediately know why he was so successful.
“He knows his student-athletes at a much deeper level than their simple ranking and he has real care and concern about their general well-being.”
Manilla is grateful not only for the support he has received from athletics administrators, but also from the president of the ODU, Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D.
“Dr. Hemphill was kind enough to have our whole team and the male teams at home after winning the Sun Belt championships,” said Manilla.
“How many tennis female teams get this kind of support from their college president? Everyone in our athletics department feels valued and we are very grateful.”
Minium is ODU’s main executive editor. Contact it to hminium@odu.edu or follow it Twitter,, Facebook Or Instagram