Iowa women’s tennis coach resigns

IOWA CITY — Iowa women's tennis coach Katie Dougherty resigned Tuesday after seven years with the Hawkeyes.

Dougherty, a native of Ellicott City, Md., expects to accept an assistant's position at the University of Maryland. Dougherty is a 2002 Wisconsin graduate and she guided the Hawkeyes to a 71-92 overall record and a 19-57 Big Ten mark. She had one winning season when the Hawkeyes were 17-7 in 2010.

'I want to thank (athletics director) Gary Barta and everyone at the University of Iowa for their support the past seven years,' Dougherty said in a statement. 'I have had the privilege of working with exceptional student-athletes, assistant coaches, and support staff. This was a very difficult decision, but we have the opportunity to relocate our growing family closer to home and to pursue a new opportunity. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity Iowa gave me and the amazing people I worked alongside.'

Under Dougherty, the Hawkeyes earned five first-team All-Big Ten honors and twice qualified doubles teams to the NCAA Championships. In her first season, Iowa reached a program-high No. 18 in the ITA rankings and qualified for the NCAA championships.

'We appreciate the years of service coach Dougherty has provided as the head of our women's tennis program,' Barta said in a statement. 'Katie and I have talked about the importance of putting our families first, and I know this move provides her that opportunity. We wish her the best of luck moving forward. A search for her replacement will begin immediately.'

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