NASHVILLE, Tenn.— New Vanderbilt men’s tennis head coach Scott Brown announced the addition of two assistant coaches to his staff on Monday. TJ Pura and Geoff Hernandez will aid Brown in writing the next chapter of the program.
“I am beyond excited to have both TJ and Geoff join our staff as assistant coaches,” Brown said. “Both of them are rising stars in the collegiate coaching ranks, they will be playing important roles in laying the foundation and building the culture for the future success of the Vanderbilt men’s tennis program. With their passion and energy, work ethic and commitment to excellence they will help propel our program to greater heights, both in the classroom and on the tennis court. TJ and Geoff represent the values and integrity of this great university and they will be fully invested in our student-athletes, the university and the Nashville community. With both of them on board, I truly believe we have one of the best coaching staffs in the country to offer our current and future student-athletes.”
Pura, a native of Pacific Palisades, California, comes to the Commodores after serving his alma mater, Duke, as a volunteer assistant coach during the 2022-23 season. During this time, Pura played a pivotal role in helping Duke reach the championship match of the ACC Tournament, NCAA Sweet 16 and achieve a final ITA team ranking of No. 11. Pura also assisted in guiding senior Garrett Johns and freshman Pedro Rodenas to ITA All-America honors.
At the professional level, Pura served as mentor, traveling coach and manager for American Tommy Paul on the ITF Futures and ATP Challenger Tours in 2018. Pura aided Paul in jumping from No. 372 to No. 201 in the world rankings during this time. In 2022, Pura worked with Paul as a mental coach and neurophysiologist, aiding in the development and implementation of strategies designed to enhance on-court performance including self-talk, routine execution, time management and visualization.
A two-time team captain, Pura competed as a Blue Devil from 2013-17, graduating sixth in school history with 30 ACC singles wins. As a senior, Pura finished 11-0 in singles play in ACC action to both record the most conference singles victories and longest league win streak in program history. He was named the 2017 ITA Carolina Region Most Improved Senior for his efforts.
During his time at Duke, Pura aided the Blue Devils in achieving a 71-39 overall record, as well as appearing in…