EMAIL: Steve.Moore@tamucc.edu
RECRUITS: See Islander Tennis Recruiting Guidelines and Online Questionnaire
COACH MOORE HIGHLIGHTS
- Led Islanders to 16 NCAA Tournaments and 33 Southland Conference Championships
- 16 NCAA's at same school rank Moore first all-time in Southland Conference history - all sports and all coaches
- 14 Coach of the Year awards - All-time Southland record in any sport
- 2013 ITA Texas Coach of the Year (All D-I coaches in Texas)
- Coached at 3 top 25 schools -Texas A&M, Texas Tech and SMU
- Directly raised over $1.5 million for Islanders Tennis
- Led Islanders to four straight NCAA Tournaments (2021-24) - only 34 schools in NCAA D-1 to do so
- Led Islanders to NCAA top 40 ranking four years
- 648 career victories as NCAA D-I Head Coach
- 3.0 team GPA in 43 straight semesters
- Selected to NCAA National Tennis Committee and ITA Chairman for D-I Texas
- Both men's and women's tennis hold all-time Southland records for total NCAA Tournaments and regular season championships
Coach Steve Moore has brought historic excellence to the Islanders including 16 NCAA Tournament appearances and 33 Southland titles. Moore is arguably the winningest coach in Southland Conference history, as his 16 NCAA Tournaments and 14 SLC Coach of the Year awards represent the most in the league for any coach and any sport. Moore was also named the 2013 ITA Texas Coach of the Year for NCAA D-I.
Moore brings a wealth of experience including coaching at three schools that reached the Top 25 nationally - Texas A&M, Texas Tech and SMU. Moore led two of those teams to top-10 national rankings. Moore has taken a total 22 teams to the NCAA Championships as a head coach or assistant.
In the 61-year history of the conference, Moore's 16 NCAA tournaments at the same school rank him first all-time in Southland Conference history for all coaches and all sports. He surpassed Lamar baseball coach Jim Gilligan (11) in 2021 after both the Islanders men's & women's tennis programs reached the NCAA Tournament.
The Islander men have won 22 Southland Conference titles, which represents the second-most in conference history among all sports. On four occasions, they have reached top-40 in the ITA National Rankings and earned a No. 3 seed at the NCAA Championships four times. Perhaps the greatest feat is their player development, having four Islanders reach the top-400 ATP including Peter Nagy who twice clinched the Davis Cup for his native country of Hungary.
Moore was selected to prominent national leadership positions as well, including a 4-year term on the 12-member NCAA National Tennis Committee, and as ITA Regional Chairman for Texas for NCAA D-I.
Coaching men's and women's tennis, Moore led both teams to the ITA national published rankings the same week. TAMUCC was one of only 34 universities in the nation with both teams ranked in the national poll, and the only with one head coach leading both programs.
The women have soared under Moore, going to the NCAA Championships in four straight years in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, and reached the top-75 national rankings in 2014 and 2016. They are the first women’s tennis team in the history of the Southland Conference to ever make the NCAA Tournament four years in a row with a senior class that won six titles in four years. The 2017 women’s team made it backto-back NCAA Tournament appearances and in 2018 the team won it’s third straight Southland Conference title. A&M-Corpus Christi followed it up with another three-peat from 2021-23 before extending it to a four-peat after winning the title again in 2024.
The Islanders finished 24-0 in the 2016 regular season, the only team in NCAA Division I to go undefeated, before falling to eventual National Champion Stanford in the NCAA Championships. In 2014, the women climbed as high as #60 in the ITA national rankings.
2015 was a historic year for the men as they reached #40 in the ITA rankings, went to the NCAA Championships as a #3 seed and won the Southland Conference for the 8th year in a row. The men's tennis team has reached the top 40 in the ITA national rankings three times since 2007 and is 53-5 under Moore in SLC matches since 2007.
Both Islanders teams were ranked in the Top 10 in NCAA Division I in attendance during 2013, 2014 and 2015, as both teams have enjoyed tremendous support in the Corpus Christi community.
Since becoming Director of Tennis, Moore has been heavily involved in fundraising, directly raising over $1.5 million across Texas to propel Islanders Tennis. Additionally, Moore secured the lead title-sponsor for the Islanders' the state-of-the-art, 12-court Thomas J. Henry Tennis Center as well as the Islanders' Mercedes van. In 2007, the Islanders purchased the rights to run the prestigious H-E-B Tournament of Champions, the longest running tournament in the nation at 56 years.
In 1998, Moore left Texas Tech to become the head coach at A&M-Corpus Christi and did what few coaches have done - start an NCAA Division I program from scratch. Moore immediately put the Islanders on the map with a 45-17 record and 15-3 SLC mark in the first three years. He was one of the youngest NCAA Division I head coaches in the country at age 26.
Moore left the Island when SMU offered him the head women’s coaching job in 2000. Moore changed the culture immediately, leading the Mustangs to their best conference finish and win total in 14 years - 16 wins and 2nd place in the 14-team WAC. Moore's team reached #42 in the national rankings and had the Most Improved team GPA in the department. Moore’s Mustangs went undefeated in the WAC the following year. Known for his strong work ethic, Moore worked double-duty also serving as the SMU men’s assistant. He helped SMU reach the NCAA Final Four in 2001 and #5 in the nation. Moore worked equally hard raising funds in the community for SMU. He raised the money to create a paid assistant coach position and started the Volvo Car Coach program for the entire SMU athletic department.
In 2004, Moore left SMU to become assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Texas A&M under Hall-of-Fame Coach Tim Cass. Moore saw Texas A&M reach the NCAA Sweet 16 and #9 nationally in his first year. A&M also signed the #1 player in the United States, hosted the NCAA Championships, and led the nation in attendance.
In 2006, after back-to-back Top 20 seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances, Moore left Texas A&M to return to his beloved hometown and once again lead the Islanders team he started in 1998.
Moore has trained under some of the top coaches in the nation including Tim Cass at Texas A&M, Tim Siegel at Texas Tech and Carl Nuefeld at SMU. He has also trained with many of the top coaches on the ATP and WTA Pro Tour.
Moore's highlight was traveling with legendary professional coach Bobby Banck as he coached WTA #3 Monica Seles, winner of 9 grand slam events.
He coaches the Islanders based on four pillars: family, character, grit. and discipline. Players must be committed to excellence on and off the court while also being great teammates who care for each other deeply.
Moore played on tennis scholarships at North Texas and Abilene Christian. While at ACU, Moore was team captain and was nationally ranked in singles. He also competed on the professional satellite circuit after college.
“The dynasty Steve has built with the Islanders - championships, culture and donors is one of the most respected in the nation. With his success and reputation, he could coach anywhere, but he loves the Islanders and Corpus Christi. Steve is all about character and mentoring those kids for success in life. He treats them like family long after they graduate, and that’s what we all respect about him the most. The Islanders Tennis culture is respected everywhere.” - Tim Siegel, head coach Texas Tech, former grand slam player and coach.
“Steve Moore is a dynamic leader who inspires young men and women to become more than they ever thought they could be. He’s build a proven championship culture where team comes first and every Islander is valued. HIs character wnd work ethic is surpassed be no one. Steve is an elite player development coach who’s mentored many players to play professionally after college. I have the highest respect for Steve as a leader, coach and man.” - Bobby Banck, legendary professional coach of five top-10 players.
