Southern Miss Hires Women's New Tennis Coach

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (July 5) -- Southern Miss Director of Athletics Richard Giannini today announced, July 5, the hiring of Susan Aurich as the new women's tennis coach.

Aurich comes to Southern Miss from Eastern Kentucky where she was a graduate assistant tennis coach for two years. While with the Lady Colonels, she compiled a 16-21 record

"I am excited to be given the opportunity to be a part of the Southern Miss tradition in athletics and academics," Aurich said. "I look forward to building on the foundation that is already in place and taking the team to the next level."

Aurich played four seasons at Austin Peay prior to taking the graduate assistant job at EKU. At APSU, she played No. 1 singles and doubles.

"She will bring youth and excitement to the program," former Southern Miss tennis player Caroline Weems, who served as a member of the selection committee, said. "She's a great motivator and will push the girls to succeed both on and off the court."

Aurich replaces Chris Hayden who had coached the Southern Miss Lady Eagle tennis team for three years before leaving the program in May to take a teaching job at the Mountain Brook Tennis Club in Birmingham, Ala.

"Susan is a assertive coach. She is a motivator and has great organization skills. She is honorable, honest, and task-oriented. Her skill level now as a coach is better than what she had as a player," Eastern Kentucky Head Coach Tom Higgins said. "I would rank her in the top 15 percent of the coaches I have put in the coaching field."

Southern Miss returns four seniors from its 1999 squad that went 12-12, and finished 10th in Conference USA.

"We're happy to have Susan join the Southern Miss family," Sonya Varnell, Associate Athletic Director/SWA, said. "She will do an outstanding job for Southern Miss."