Howard Joffe is not intimidated by the task of rebuilding a program.
He took the helm of the Terrapin women’s tennis team last July after leading a once-mediocre Miami (Ohio) program to a Mid-American Conference Championship and its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in just two seasons’ work.
He left the RedHawks after the 2009 NCAA Tournament to head to College Park, where an even more daunting task awaited. In the three seasons before Joffe’s arrival, the Terps had gone a combined 2-31 in the powerful ACC.
Not much has changed since his arrival. The Terps are 3-11 this year and winless in conference play.
But brighter days seem just around the corner for the squad.
Joffe has inked a recruiting class he believes is “hands down the top recruiting class in the entire nation.”
The class includes Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar, who defeated 2009 Junior Wimbledon singles champion Noppawan Lertcheewakarn in straight sets in a practice match earlier this season.
“Cristina is already as good as any college tennis player,” Joffe said, adding that Sanchez-Quintanar has been forced to sit out this semester due to NCAA transfer rules.
The class includes three additional top-notch players, despite what Joffe described as this season’s “carnage.”
“My recruiting strategy is exactly what I demand from my players,” said Joffe, who recruited Monica Gorny, now a member of No. 6 Duke’s starting lineup, to a middle-of-the-road Miami program. “I shoot for the stars, not second-best. There’s always talent out there, it’s just a question of effort and persistence.”
Ricardo Rosas, a former assistant of Joffe’s at Miami who is now the RedHawks’ interim head coach, lauded Joffe’s ability to relate to his players.
“He’s very disciplined,” Rosas said, “but he’s also very understanding of his students and recognizes that they also have lives and school outside of tennis.”
Joffe has already been able to achieve this delicate balance with his new team. Senior Lisa Miller said while he has added two to three private lessons a week to each of his players’ daily mandate of practice and class, the extra workload has been well received.
“He puts his heart and soul into everything,” Miller said. “He’s always giving constructive feedback. He cares so much that everyone wants to do well for him.”
Despite his propensity for recruiting, he said coaching is his biggest strength.
“I’m better suited toward the coaching aspect of the game,” Joffe said. “But I am able to sell these recruits on being a part of something uncommon. No one expects us to be in the top five, but these girls can bring us to that spot.”
The South Africa native added that despite the Terps’ place at the bottom of the ACC, their spot in the league itself helps serve as a recruiting tool.
“When kids come here, they know they’re going to get a chance to play the big dogs,” Joffe said. “It’s the biggest advantage of coaching in one of the big five conferences.”
For now, the Terps will have to settle for a chance at a rare victory in today’s battle against local foe Georgetown (6-10).
But Joffe said he sees a starkly different future.
“We have four players coming in who can already compete with the Dukes and Stanfords,” said Joffe, referring to the sport’s traditional powers. “I fully expect us to already be in the mix for an ACC Championship next year, and we’ll definitely be able to compete nationally.”
cwalsh@umdbk.com