Olaya Garrido Rivas

Olaya Garrido-Rivas was hired as the University of North Alabama’s Director of Tennis on June 10, 2022, and enters her fourth season leading the Lions in 2025–26. A former TCU standout and Division I head coach, Garrido-Rivas has overseen a remarkable rise for both the men’s and women’s programs. In 2025, UNA captured its first Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament Championship in any sport in school history, with both tennis programs reaching championship matches during her tenure. She has compiled 41 combined wins across the 2023–25 seasons, including a program-record 19-6 campaign in 2025 that marked the most Division I wins in school history. Her efforts earned her a share of ASUN Coach of the Year honors, and in July 2025 she received a three-year contract extension through the 2029 season. Prior to UNA, Garrido-Rivas served as head women’s tennis coach at NJIT and previously rebuilt the program at Missouri Western State, leading the Griffons to postseason success and national regional rankings. She also gained Division I assistant coaching experience at Middle Tennessee State. As a player, Garrido-Rivas was a second-team All-Big 12 selection at TCU and the 2016 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year after transferring from South Florida. A native of Gijón, Spain, she holds a bachelor’s degree from TCU and a master’s degree from Middle Tennessee State, and previously worked with the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy.