Utah women’s tennis head coach RuthAnn Allen discussed her coaching career and philosophy in an interview released on May 14. Allen, who just completed her second season leading the Utes, guided the No. 39 ranked Utah team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2012.
Allen’s return to her alma mater in 2024 followed five seasons as head coach at Weber State, where she led the Wildcats to a Big Sky Championship title in 2023 and was named Big Sky Coach of the Year. She also earned this honor during the 2022 season after leading Weber State to a regular season title. Under her leadership, Weber State reached the Big Sky tournament title match for four consecutive years.
Before taking over at Weber State, Allen served as an assistant coach at Utah for two decades, including a stint as associate head coach during the 2018-19 season. Her experience includes multiple periods as an assistant from 1993 through 2018.
In response to why she became a coach, Allen said: “I became a coach because I loved my college tennis experience! I love creating a team out of an individual sport. I know I can make a difference in a student athletes’ growth as a tennis player.” She also shared that she admires professional athletes who overcome adversity: “Kobe Bryant’s mind set and commitment to become the best is very admirable!”
Allen reflected on overcoming challenges by saying: “I reset after a bad loss or practice with the mindset that everything is temporary and growth can come from those difficult experiences. We may learn more after those tough losses/practice.” She expressed pride in teams exceeding expectations: “I am proud of every team that accomplishes and achieves more than what others outside the team thought possible. I enjoy the challenge of creating a team environment that helps team members thrive and have success.” When scouting future players for Utah, Allen said she looks for someone “who doesn’t give up,” has grit, enjoys competing, and values being a student athlete.
Looking ahead, fans are encouraged to follow Utah women’s tennis on social media platforms including Twitter (@UteWomensTennis), Instagram (@UtahWomensTennis), and Facebook (Facebook.com/Utahwomenstennis).
