Roland Thornqvist

Roland Thornqvist (born March 3, 1970) is a Swedish-born American college tennis coach and former college tennis player. Thornqvist is the current head coach of the Florida Gators women's tennis team of the University of Florida. He is best known for leading the Florida Gators to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I national championships in 2003, 2011, 2012, and 2017.

Roland Thornqvist
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamUniversity of Florida
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Record420–59 (.877)
Biographical details
Born (1970-03-03) March 3, 1970
Stockholm, Sweden
Playing career
1993–1996University of North Carolina
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2002–currentUniversity of Florida
1999–2001University of North Carolina
1997–1998University of Kansas
Head coaching record
Overall495–109 (.820)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
NCAA (2003, 2011, 2012, 2017)
Southeastern Conference
(2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016)
Southeastern Conference Tournament
(2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016)
Awards
SEC Coach of the Year (2004, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2016)
ITA National Coach of the Year (2011)

Early years

Thornqvist was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1970.

College career

Thornqvist attended the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where he played for the North Carolina Tar Heels men's tennis team from 1990 to 1993. He was recognized as a three-time first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) selection in 1991, 1992 and 1993, and a first-team All-American in 1993.[1] Thornqvist graduated from North Carolina with a bachelor's degree in economics in 1996.[1]

Coaching career

Thornqvist was the head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks women's tennis team at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas in 1997 and 1998. From 1999 to 2001, he was the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels women's tennis team at his alma mater, the University of North Carolina.[1]

In 2002, Thornqvist became the head coach of the Florida Gators women's tennis program at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Since then, Thornqvist has been one of the top college tennis coaches in the country. He has compiled a record of 249–30 overall at the University of Florida, and has an overall coaching record of 324–80. His teams have qualified for the NCAA Tournament every year since he has been the head coach of the Gators. In 2003, 2011, 2012 and 2017, the Gators women's tennis team won the NCAA Division I National Championship.[1] Thornqvist's Lady Gators have also finished second in the NCAA tournament in 2002 and 2010.[1]

The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) named Thornqvist as its national Coach of the Year in 2011.[2]

Coaching record[3][4][5]
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Kansas Jayhawks (Big 12) (1997–1998)
1997 Kansas 15–1410–32ndNCAA Second Round
1998 Kansas 18–69–22ndNCAA Round of 16
Kansas: 33–2019–5
UNC (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1999–2001)
1999 UNC 16–93–54thNCAA Second Round
2000 UNC 10–142–6NCAA First Round
2001 UNC 16–76–2NCAA Second Round
UNC: 42–3011–13
Florida (Southeastern Conference) (2002–Present)
2002 Florida 24–210–12ndNCAA Runner-Up
2003 Florida 31–210–11stNCAA Champions
2004 Florida 23–111–01stNCAA Second Round
2005 Florida 22–39–2T-2ndNCAA Semifinals
2006 Florida 25–211–01stNCAA Semifinals
2007 Florida 24–310–11stNCAA Quarterfinals
2008 Florida 24–311–01stNCAA Semifinals
2009 Florida 16–107–44thNCAA Round of 16
2010 Florida 29–311–01stNCAA Runner-Up
2011 Florida 31–111–01stNCAA Champions
2012 Florida 27–111–01stNCAA Champions
2013 Florida 26–312–1T-1stNCAA Semifinals
2014 Florida 23–611–2T-2ndNCAA Semifinals
2015 Florida 24–412–11stNCAA Quarterfinals
2016 Florida 23–313–01stNCAA Round of 16
2017 Florida 29–311–2T-2ndNCAA Champions
2018 Florida 19–911–2T-2ndNCAA Second Round
Florida: 420–59182–17
Total:495–109

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

References
  1. GatorZone.com, Women's Tennis coaching & Support Staff, Roland Thornqvist. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  2. "Roland Thornqvist Named Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year," GatorZone.com (June 8, 2011). Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  3. "2016-17 Women's Tennis Coaching Staff - Florida Gators". floridagators.com. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
  4. "UF Names Roland Thornqvist Women's Tennis Coach". Florida Gators. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
  5. "2017-18 Women's Tennis Schedule - Florida Gators". floridagators.com. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
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