USU hires Aaron Paajanen as next men’s tennis coach

The Utah State University athletics department recently named Aaron Paajananen head coach of the men’s tennis program.

Prior to being hired on at USU, Paajanen spent four years coaching men’s and women’s tennis at the University of Detroit Mercy in Michigan. 

During his time there, the men’s squad improved every year and set a school record with 15 victories in 2018. Paajanen was also named the Horizon League Coach of the Year that season, the first such honor in Mercy’s history. 

In his first season with the women’s team, he coached a player to a perfect 9-0 record, while also helping another earn a second-team all-Horizon League accolade. 

He has previously coached as an assistant at Santa Clara for two years and at Loyola Marymount, where his Division I career began. During his time at Loyola, his team earned eight all-West Coast Conference honors.

Coaching tennis began as a family affair, as his first role was serving underneath his father on the men’s team and his mother on the women’s side at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix, Arizona. 

Paajanen’s time as a tennis player began at Glendale Community College (AZ), where he ascended the NJCAA rankings to as high as 33 in the singles category. From Glendale, he played for Cowley College in Kansas, where he earned All-American honors. Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California was the last stop for his collegiate playing career, as he graduated with a degree in Kinesiology.

USU’s Vice President and Director of Athletics, John Hartwell, remarked on the addition of Paajanen to the tennis program. “Aaron has impressive successes in his coaching career, including conference championships and NCAA appearances. His student-athletes have excelled in both the classroom and on the court.

“We look forward to Aaron joining the Utah State family and leading our men’s tennis program to continued success.”