As a high school kid hailing from California, University of Wisconsin men's tennis assistant coach Danny Westerman knew a lot of his type were grouped in a certain bubble. Because of the great academic reputations state universities in California possess, many students were oblivious to what the rest of the country had to offer and stayed in the state for their higher education.
Fortunately for the UW tennis program, Westerman decided to go against the grain.
It all started when Steve Lovett, a three-time All-Big Ten player at UW in the early 80s, persuaded Westerman to make a visit to Madison, telling the Los Angeles native he thought it would be a good fit for him. Westerman gave it a shot, and on a November weekend in 1997, he visited UW and got a chance to see the Badgers take on Michigan in football. Westerman was impressed with the campus and the city of Madison altogether.
It was just a great weekend,\ Westerman said. ""I got a good taste of Madison, and I got a good vibe here, and I've been here ever since.""
Westerman was hired as an assistant coach by then-head coach Jim Klingelhoets in 2004 after an outstanding career as a Badger. One of the most successful players in UW history, Westerman boasted a 92-53 career singles record, good for fourth in career wins and eighth in career winning percentage (.634) in Badger tennis history. He was also a three-time All-Big Ten athlete and all-academic member earning the respect and trust of Klingelhoets, who coached him for his entire four-year career.
After a one-year stint as a volunteer assistant coach, the position of assistant coach opened up and Klingelhoets offered Westerman the job, which he accepted.
""It was a really easy decision for me,"" Westerman said. ""I really enjoyed coaching that volunteer year. Coming out on the courts was really rewarding, a lot more rewarding than I had previously thought. What better way to stay involved, than to play tennis and coach tennis, I mean, it's a great job.""
After Klingelhoets resigned following the 2004-'05 season, the transition to assisting under new head coach Greg Van Emburgh was a smooth one. Westerman knew that coaching under Van Emburgh, a former Wimbledon doubles semifinalist, would be a huge privilege.
""It's been an unbelievable experience for me,"" Westerman said. ""I had an opportunity to work with coach Van Emburgh [following the change], and I knew right then that every day would be a learning experience for me.""
Van Emburgh and the players respect Westerman in the same way he respects them.
""We're both on the same page, and we want what's best for the University, the student athletes, and the program,"" Van Emburgh said. ""We're both putting in the time and the work to achieve all those goals, and we're having fun doing it.""
""He knows what hard work is, and he'll give you a lot of good advice about your game, and about staying positive,"" sophomore Felipe Bellido said. ""I think he's a really good asset to our team.""
Westerman sees a lot of similarities between the team when he played and the current team. Despite there being more talent and depth on the current team, Westerman noted that both teams have a huge competitive drive and will to win, and have the same goals as far as continuing to strive to be a force in the Big Ten.
""The guys are enjoying themselves, and the team's getting better [with Westerman's help],"" Van Emburgh said. ""For us, I think our best years are still ahead of us.""
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