ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --- Vicky Maes, who has led the Lobo women’s tennis program since 2018, announced that she is stepping down as head coach, but she isn’t going too far. Maes will take over as the Director of the Lobo Tennis Club, allowing her to remain close to both the women’s and men’s programs while propelling the club into its next exciting chapter.
Maes finishes her Lobo career after an eight-year run that saw her become the second-winningest coach in school history with 84 wins. Overall, she went 84-79 as the second-longest tenured coach in the program’s history.
“I have been so privileged and so honored to head coach at UNM for the past 8 seasons. Coaching here has been an absolute joy for me,” said Maes. “I am proud of all the things we accomplished together. While leaving college coaching is bittersweet, I look forward to the impact I can have on both our programs and the Lobo Tennis Club as the new Director of Tennis. This career switch is an exciting one, and I am thrilled to take on new challenges while also still being able to follow our Lobo teams from up close.”
She led UNM to its first regular-season Mountain West title in 20 years as the program went 19-3 in 2024, setting a record for winning percentage at .864. The team opened that season with 10 consecutive wins and a 17-1 start. Maes was named the Mountain West Coach of the Year. Overall, Maes coached 14 All-Mountain West players.
Along with the on-the-court success, the team’s calling card was its academic prowess. At one point in her tenure, the team posted a GPA of 3.90 or higher for four consecutive semesters. Twice, her teams posted above a 4.0 GPA, with a 4.03 in the fall of 2020, and a 4.06 just this past spring.
Her teams were honored by the ITA for their GPA in all eight of her seasons.
In her new role as Director of the Lobo Tennis Club, Maes will be responsible for managing and overseeing one of the premier tennis facilities in the State of New Mexico and the only facility with indoor courts. The Lobo Tennis Club is a community-based club offering memberships, professional lessons, and youth clinics and coaching. The club has also hosted numerous USTA events since its inception and will be eager to host more under Maes's leadership.
“I am excited for the future of the Lobo Tennis Club as Coach Maes slides over an office to lend her expertise, experience, and community connections to the future of the Lobo Tennis Club. Coach has led our Women’s Tennis program with nothing but class for the last eight seasons, and I am grateful that she will continue to be a part of our Lobo family,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics, Ryan Berryman
Before coming to UNM, Maes served as the head coach at the University of Arizona from 2001 to 2018. With the Wildcats, she led the squad to eight NCAA tournament appearances over her 17 years. She also developed four NCAA All-Americans and seven all-conference performers, and her players qualified for postseason competition every year. All in all, she was with the Wildcat family for 24 years, starting in 1994 as a student-athlete, then moving into a community service coordinator role for the C.A.T.S. Life Skills program, and finally accepting her coaching role.
As a tennis player for the University of Arizona, Maes was the squad’s No. 1 singles and doubles player throughout her career. She was named the Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year in 1996 and was tabbed a four-time first-team All-Pac-10 selection. Maes was named to the Pac-10 All-Decade team in 1998, was the 1996 Arizona Women’s Sports Foundation College Athlete of the Year, a four-time All-American (1995-98), and the nation’s top-ranked player in 1996 and 1997. Additionally, Maes was a three-time Pac-10 All-Academic selection and a GTE Academic All-America choice in 1996. In 1998, she was a finalist for the NCAA’s Great Eight Award. She won the Ruby Award, which recognizes UA’s top female student-athlete in athletics, academics, and personal development. For her efforts, Maes was inducted into the University of Arizona’s Hall of Fame in 2003.
Community members interested in joining the Lobo Tennis Club can learn more here.