Pioneer Athletics Hall of Fame
A seven-time all-conference and two-time All-America selection, Jeff Southwick (1979-83) helped the Pioneer men's tennis team to collect four straight All-Northern California Athletic Conference (NCAC) titles during an impressive singles and doubles career under Hall of Fame coaches Stan Clark and fellow inductee John Nelson. Southwick began his career with all-conference honors at No. 2 doubles as a freshman, helping the team finish third at NCAA Championships, before becoming an all-conference selection in both singles and doubles as a sophomore. During a breakout junior season, Southwick played No. 1 doubles with partner Gary Scholl, earning All-America honors and doubling up all-conference honors for the second straight year. As a senior, Southwick collected all-conference recognition at both No. 3 singles and No. 1 doubles. Alongside partner and fellow Hall of Famer Rolf Wiedermeyer, Southwick reached the semifinals in the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament, earning his second All-America selection and helping the Pioneers to their second third-place showing in four years.
Since graduating from Cal State Hayward with a bachelor's degree in marketing in 1988, Southwick has become a leader in the tennis industry on the West Coast. As a coach and tennis professional and now Director of Tennis and Fitness at Orinda Country Club, he has helped place over 60 players into collegiate tennis programs, has coached an NCAA doubles champion, two world-ranked players and four No. 1-ranked juniors. He is also a former chair of the NorCal United States Tennis Association (USTA) Coaches Commission, which helps to identify and develop the best young tennis players in the country.
