Claire Pollard Position: Head Coach Experience: 11 years Alma Mater: Mississippi State, 1989

In 11 seasons at the helm of the Northwestern women's tennis program, Claire Pollard has brought the 'Cats from regular contender in the Big Ten to national powerhouse. In addition to 11 consecutive Big Ten championships--the second-longest streak by any women's program in Big Ten history--Pollard has guided NU to several program-firsts in the past two years including a No. 1 national ranking, back-to-back No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Championships and an ITA National Indoor Team championship. Pollard was the 2008 Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year, is a four-time Wilson/ITA Midwest Region Coach of the Year honoree and a five-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, winning the award consecutively in 2008 and 2009.

Pollard has coached the Wildcats to an overall record of 265-52, including an astounding 104-6 mark in the Big Ten regular season. She is also 38-0 against conference opponents in postseason play (Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Championships) and is currently riding a 74-match winning streak against Big Ten opponents.

Under Pollard, NU has flourished with 31 individual NCAA qualifiers, nine Midwest Regional champions--including eight in a row, most recently Samantha Murray in 2008--29 All-Big Ten honorees and 36 Academic All-Big Ten recipients.

In 2009, Northwestern maintained the No. 1 spot in the Campbell/ITA College Tennis polls from the preseason through the start of the NCAA Championships and eventually finished ranked No. 2 for the second consecutive season. NU defended its top ranking early in the year with its historic win at the ITA National Indoor Team Championship in February as it became the first northern school--and just the sixth school overall--to win the crown in the 22-year history of the event. Later in the year, Pollard and the 'Cats capped off a fifth straight unbeaten Big Ten dual season and eventually reached the NCAA quarterfinals for the third time in four years.

Pollard first brought Northwestern to the NCAA round of eight in 2006, the same year in which the Wildcats won their first individual national championship under Pollard's guidance when Cristelle Grier and Alexis Prousis captured the NCAA doubles crown. With that win, Pollard became the second coach in NCAA history to capture a doubles title as both a player and a coach.

NU's success in the 2009 dual season continued the momentum it developed in 2008 when the 'Cats completed a landmark season by setting program records for wins (29), winning percentage (.935) and shutouts (15).

Even prior to its consecutive years with a No. 2 final team ranking, Northwestern was consistently in the mix as one of the nation's elite programs under Pollard. In her time at NU, the Wildcats have recorded final finishes of fifth (2005), eighth (2006 and 2007), ninth (2001), 10th (2004), 14th (2002) 15th (2001) and 18th (2003). Northwestern has reached at least the round of 16 in the NCAA Championships in eight of the last nine years, increasing the program's number of total NCAA appearances along the way to 20.

On the individual side, Pollard has coached three of only four players in Big Ten history to earn the league's Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year honors in the same season. In 2003, Cristelle Grier became the first NU player and just the second in conference history to earn both accolades, preceding Audra Cohen (2005) and Maria Mosolova (2008).

In 2009, Mosolova joined Grier as NU's only winners of multiple Big Ten Player of the Year awards. Grier, a four-time All-Big Ten selection, captured the honor three times (2003, 2005-06). The superb depth of Pollard's lineups has become apparent in recent years with four All-Big Ten selections in both 2008 and 2009, the second and third times in school history--and the first since 1984--that a quartet of Wildcats earned the recognition.

Pollard's first head coaching position was at her alma mater, Mississippi State University, where she was the coach during the 1990-91 season.

After a short stint with the Chris Lane Tennis Club in England, she came back to the States to take on the head coaching position at Lamar, where she led both the men's and women's teams. During that time, the women's team posted a 64-49 overall record. Meanwhile, the men's team finished 1997 with a 13-8 mark, its best since 1986.

A decorated collegiate player, Pollard won the 1989 NCAA Doubles Championship as well as back-to-back Southeastern Conference Indoor and Outdoor Doubles Championships. An All-American and Academic All-American, she was named Mississippi State's Female Athlete of the Year in 1989.

Pollard is the Bulldogs' leader for doubles victories in one season, having 39 in 1988-89. She is also tied for eighth in season singles victories (23, 1985-86).

In 1989, Pollard also participated in the Wimbledon and U.S. Open Championships.

Pollard graduated magna cum laude from Mississippi State with a bachelor of science in fitness management and received her master's from Mississippi State in sports administration.

A native of Surrey, England, Pollard served for four years on the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tennis Committee. Pollard also served as chairman of the NCAA Committee for two years.

Pollard resides in Evanston.