Coach Westerman

Danny Westerman begins his fourth season as head coach of the Denver men's tennis program. Westerman has earned two Sun Belt Conference Men's Tennis Coach of the Year honors during his tenure and 41-25 mark in three seasons as head coach of the Pioneers.

Westerman guided the Pioneers to their first NCAA Tournament in 2008 after finishing a program-best second for the second consecutive season at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. DU recorded a school-best 18 wins and won the Sun Belt Shootout for the first time. DU also achieved its highest team ranking (No. 37), eclipsing the No. 43 ranking from last season. Westerman also helped Adam Holmstrom to the highest individual ranking (No. 11) and Holmstrom and Niklas Persson to the highest doubles ranking (No. 3 ) in school history. Holmstrom and Persson advanced to the semifinals of the ITA National Indoor Doubles Championship and qualified for the NCAA Doubles Championship.

In 2006-07, Westerman coached the Pioneers to a 13-7 record and school-best second place finish at the SBC Tournament. The Pioneers also achieved a No. 43 team ranking. Westerman also helped Adam Holmstrom became DU's first All-American in NCAA Division I history.

Westerman arrived at DU after serving three years as an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin. The Los Angeles native was a four-year letterwinner and Big Ten Medal of Honor winner during his illustrious career for the Badgers from 1998-2002. Westerman replaced Geoff Young as head coach of the Pioneers. Young guided DU to a 71-68 record over six seasons, including a program-best fourth-place finish at the 2005 Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

Westerman is one of the most successful men's tennis players in UW history, compiling a 92-53 record in singles play. The 92 career wins ranks fourth in Badger history, while his .634 winning percentage ranks eighth all-time. Westerman reached No. 16 in the individual rankings and registered a 63-47 doubles record in his four seasons. Westerman was Wisconsin's 2002 Big Ten Medal of Honor winner following his senior season with the Badgers. During the fall of 2001, he became the first UW player to win the ITA Midwest Regional championship. Westerman posted a 27-12 record in 2002 and finished the season ranked 29th in the nation. He also earned his first trip to the NCAA singles championship that year, becoming one of only 16 Badgers since 1950 to do so. Westerman was a three-time All-Big Ten pick, making him just the fifth Badger in school history to accomplish the feat. He earned three Academic All-Big Ten selections in his career and was the 2001-02 team co-captain.

Following his career at Wisconsin, Westerman went on to play professionally, earning a world ranking in both singles and doubles as well as a Top 100 ranking among United States professional players. He returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in 2004. Westerman helped guide Nolan Polley to the 2005 Big Ten Men's Tennis fall singles title and Jeremy Sonkin to three Big Player of the Week honors during the 2006 spring season.

Westerman graduated with a bachelor's degree in marketing and management from Wisconsin in 2002 and earned his MBA from the School of Business at UW in 2005. He serves as the Regional Chair of the ITA Mountain Region. He and his wife Elizabeth wed in June of 2008.

Jeremy Wurtzman, Co-Director

Jeremy Wurtzman begins his first season as head coach of the Denver women's tennis program. Wurtzman returns to DU after helping his alma mater Ohio State to the NCAA Finals last season. Wurtzman was an assistant coach for the DU men’s program from 2006-08.

Wurtzman helped Ohio State to the Big Ten regular-season championship, Big Ten Tournament title and NCAA finals appearance against USC in 2008-09. He coached Bryan Koniecko to the ITA National Indoor title, and Ohio State achieved its highest team ranking of No. 2 in school history last season.

Wurtzman served as an assistant coach for DU under Danny Westerman for two seasons. The Pioneers qualified for their first NCAA Tournament in Wurtzman’s second season in 2007-08. DU also achieved its highest team ranking of No. 37 and produced its first All-American in Adam Holmstrom. DU went 31-14 during Wurtzman’s two seasons and Westerman earned two Sun Belt Conference men’s coach of the year accolades.

He joined the coaching ranks after a stellar playing career at Ohio State. He earned All-America honors and was the ITA National Senior Player of the Year in 2004. The three-time All-Big Ten selection was the ITA National Indoor champion in 2003. Wurtzman achieved a No. 3 final ranking in the 2003-04 season. In his four years of collegiate tennis Wurtzman posted a 132-45 singles record and an 86-49 doubles record. The Rochester, N.Y., native transferred to Ohio State in 2001 after a season at the University of Florida.

Wurtzman enjoyed a successful juniors career as well, achieving a national ranking of No.1 in doubles from 1995-1997 and No. 3 in singles in 1999. He also won 10 USTA National Junior Championships from 1995-1999.

He and his wife, Gretchen, will relocate to Denver this summer.

The members of DU Varsity Programs will also be part of the coaching staff for summer camp