Syracuse University Women's Tennis

Limam has already guided the Orange to its highest rank in program history on top of leading the program to its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Limam and the Orange won their first NCAA Tournament match in program history by defeating Georgia State 4-3 in the first round in 2016. Syracuse also received its first BYE in the ACC Tournament and won its first ACC Tournament contest with a 4-3 comeback win over NC State. Backed behind the leadership of Limam, the Orange reached new heights by climbing up to No. 24 in the ITA poll on March 1, marking the highest rank in program history.  After going 8-13 in his first season, Limam and the Orange turned it around to finish 15-9 in his second year. In the 2016 campaign, the Orange also had both a singles player and doubles pair invited to the NCAA Individual Championship for the first time since 1996. No. 64 Anna Shkudun was defeated by eventual National Champion Danielle Collins in the first round. No. 27 doubles pair Gabriela Knutson and Valeria Salazar were also defeated by the eventual National Champions in the first round.  The Orange had some marquee victories in 2016 with wins over No. 19 Wake Forest, No. 30 Notre Dame and No. 30 Virginia Tech.  At the conclusion of the 2016 season, Shkudun earned All-ACC Second Team recognition. Knutson was named the ITA Northeast Region Rookie of the Year and Player to Watch.  During Limam's first season, he led Amanda Rodgers to All-ACC accolades and defeated a pair of top-40 opponents. Limam mentored the Orange to a No. 34 ranking in the ITA poll on Feb. 24, which was the highest rank Syracuse has ever received. Limam notched his first win at Syracuse in the season opener, defeating Florida Gulf Coast on January 8, 2015 and proceeded to knock off two highly-ranked opponents in consecutive matches later in the month. The Orange defeated No. 39 South Florida and No. 35 Princeton in the opening matches of the season and Limam mentored six flight champions during the fall campaign between taking four-of-five flights at the West Point Invitational and Houston Invitational. Amanda Rodgers notched the second all-conference accolades of her career in 2015 after being named All-ACC Third Team. Limam also led the doubles tandem of Valeria Salazar and Komal Safdar to a No. 59 rank in the ITA Doubles rankings during his first year as well. Becoming Orange : Syracuse announced on June 24, 2014 that Younes Limam had been named head coach of the Orange womens tennis program. A respected coach and recruiter, he comes to Syracuse after serving as assistant coach at Rice University the last five seasons.   Coach Limam has an incredible reputation as a rising superstar in NCAA tennis coaching, Athletic Director Dr. Daryl Gross said at the time of his hiring. He comes to us highly regarded by his peers with a superb reputation in coaching, recruiting and building championship programs. His global approach to every aspect of tennis has helped lead Rice University to recent success. His reputation as a wonderful character person and teacher is obvious. We believe he will be outstanding in growing Syracuse tennis and competing for championships while graduating our student-athletes.   The 2011 ITA Assistant Coach of the Year in the Texas Region, Limam played a vital role in turning Rice into a national power over the course of the last five seasons as the Owls went from being unranked to being consistently ranked in the top 20 nationally, winning back-to-back Conference USA titles, and reaching at least the NCAA round of 32 each of the last three years, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2012.   I am honored to become Syracuses head womens tennis coach and join an athletic department full of hall of fame coaches and an amazing staff, Limam said. I want to thank Dr. Gross and Dr. Baumgartner for this opportunity. They made me feel at home from the moment I arrived on campus.   As Rices recruiting coordinator, Limam was responsible for bringing top talent regionally, nationally and internationally to the Owls. His recruits included 2013 All-American and two-time NCAA qualifier Natalie Beazant (England), 2013 NCAA singles qualifier and Canadas No. 2-ranked junior Dominique Harmath, No. 35 world junior ranked Katherine Ip (Hong Kong), and five-star recruit domestic recruits Savannah Durkin (No. 19 nationally ranked) and Alison Ho (No. 26 nationally ranked).   Rice compiled a combined record of 85-40 (.680) in Limams five seasons in Houston, including a stellar 57-21 (.731) over the last three campaigns, each of which included NCAA victories.   Limam is coming off an 18-8 season with the Owls in 2014 in which they were ranked in the top 20 nationally, won the Conference USA Championship in decisive fashion and recorded a victory in the NCAA Championship to reach the second round.   In 2013, Rice went 21-5, its most wins in 31 years, was ranked in the top 20, won the C-USA title, advanced to the NCAA second round and had a singles player (Beazant) reach the NCAA quarterfinals.   In 2012, Limams third season at Rice, the Owls went 18-9 and after winning its NCAA first round match, upset No. 16 Ole Miss to reach the Sweet Sixteen.   The 2011 Rice Owls went 14-10 with Limam winning the ITA Texas Region Assistant Coach of the Year honor in his second season with the program after helping lead the Owls to a 14-9 mark and season-high ranking of No. 31 in his first season in 2010.   Prior to being hired at Rice in 2009, Limam served as assistant coach at Texas-Arlington from 2007-09 and was a graduate assistant at Central Oklahoma from 2004-06. In his last season with the Mavericks in 2009, they went a perfect 11-0 to win the Southland Conference title and advanced to the NCAA Championship.   An accomplished player, Limam played at Drury University from 2000-03, posting an 87-17 singles record, placing him second in victories in school history. He helped lead the Panthers to an NCAA Division II runner-up finish in 2002 and was a three-time All-Heartland Conference selection (2001-03). Drury finished in the top five in Division II all four years of his career.   Limam also has experience playing on both professional and junior circuits. He was ranked in the top three in Morocco junior categories and was a member of the Moroccan Junior National Team from 1994-98.   Limam graduated from Drury University in 2003 with a degree in business administration. He received his Masters Degree in 2006 in business administration from Central Oklahoma. Born and raised in Mohammedia, Morocco, Limam speaks English, French and Arabic. He and his wife, Kristen, live in Fayetteville with their two young children, Lina and Ryan.