Men’s tennis head coach Justin McGrath doesn’t like being in the spotlight. He would rather the focus be on his players, who are No. 41 on the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings and is currently 14-3 and 4-0 in the Big West.
“I want to see them walk away with a great experience — getting their degree, being a good citizen out there and walking away with a competitive experience where we have an opportunity to win championships,” McGrath said. “That, to me, is the winning formula.”
He started playing tennis at age 11 in Rapid City, S.D. His dad was an airline pilot, so his family moved around for his job. While he considered himself a multi-sport kid, he took tennis all through college in Arkansas. He tried his hand at coaching at a country club in Texas, and later coached at the John Newcombe Tennis Academy in New Braunfels, Texas.
Afterward, he got a job as an assistant coach at his alma mater. His first head coaching job was with the Ragin’ Cajuns at the University of Louisiana Lafayette.
McGrath said there is a noticeable difference between the Ragin’ Cajuns and the Mustangs.
“They came from maybe not as affluent and maybe not as educated,” he said. “I think in some ways it was more difficult for them to adapt in a college setting.”
Cal Poly athletes, he said, are more well-rounded, disciplined and able to balance difficult academics with their athletics.
When he first came to Cal Poly, the men’s tennis team wasn’t nationally ranked, but he felt they had a competitive spirit and exemplified what he came to characterize as Cal Poly students: hard working with great character, even if they lacked born talent.
“I do have to say the first year that I came, those kids really wanted to have a great senior year, and those kids actually made it to the conference championship at the tournament,” he said. “And that wasn’t a very talented team in terms of ability but great character.”
This is his fourth season at Cal Poly and McGrath said the program is growing every year. But the credit for the good seasons goes to his players. He just tries his best to help his players by being patient and just as hard working as them, he said.
“I’ll take a dedicated, disciplined player in every aspect of his life over the talent,” McGrath said. “Patience, dedication, discipline and hard work. Not just on the tennis court … that’s what’s going to make a successful person in life. So I try to transform that a little bit, as best I can, with the kids on our team.”
Fir McGrath taking his players’ life into consideration the long run proves he is dedicated to them. Before games, he can’t sleep at night and gets up at about 3 a.m., which he says drives his wife nuts. On his own time, he likes to play golf — more than he likes to admit. He tries to hide his golf habit from his players, but the biggest role he plays off the court is being a dad.
“I have a 4-year-old,” he said, referring to his son Maddox. “Right now, he’s my hobby.”
With severe budget cuts looming on the horizon, McGrath is aware that things might get tight soon for athletics programs. He said the saving grace is Cal Poly has a “terrific” new president and athletics director.
“Something that I tell my players is stay the course, don’t get out of the boat, rein it together, let’s hang in there, we’ll get through it,” he said.
McGrath doesn’t plan on jumping ship any time soon either. He considers Cal Poly his home and doesn’t have any aspirations to go elsewhere. He considers the program on the rise and the community involvement as spectacular.
“I just couldn’t be more happy,” he said. “I couldn’t see myself anywhere else.”
Junior Brian McPhee said his coach is a great guy whose coaching style is tailored on an individual basis. McPhee said McGrath wants them to explore their own unique styles and feel comfortable in them. He takes out a lot of the anxiety but expects them to give the court and the classroom their all.
“Individually, he tends to let us do our thing as long as we work hard,” McPhee said. “I’m blessed to be playing on this team with this coaching staff. I feel like without these people I wouldn’t be as happy or as strong as I am.”
One of the most memorable moments with McGrath for junior Sebastian Bell is when they drove to Las Vegas for a match.
Two hours into the drive, they came to a complete traffic deadlock, where people were even getting out of their cars and sitting on the highway. They waited, but there was no movement. Then, they saw another car drive off the road onto a dirt path. Shortly after, they too went offroading.
“He was driving the entire time, and we’re in the car just laughing it up,” Bell said. “We probably saved three to four hours of the trip. That was a really good trip.”
Bell appreciates that McGrath is able to be focused and intense while on court, keeping a handle on the things.
“He makes it clear what our objective is on the court and what we’re trying to focus on and achieve,” he said. “When we’re off, it’s our time, and I think that’s key to being a good college coach and keeping the positivity of the players he has around him.”