JAMAICA, N.Y. -- Eric Rebhuhn was named head mens tennis coach and Kyle Copeland was named head womens tennis coach at St. Johns University, it was announced on Monday by Vice President for Development & Athletics David Wegrzyn.

Were excited to have Eric and Kyle join the St. Johns family, Wegrzyn said. Both coaches have had success at the collegiate level and are proven teachers in the game. We think they will be great leaders for our student-athletes and help guide the teams to success.

Rebhuhn (pronounced Reh-BYOON) joins St. Johns from the University of Northern Iowa, where he served as the head mens and womens tennis coach for the last three years. Under Rebhuhns guidance, the Panthers mens and womens programs both made great strides. The womens team finished the 2000-01 year with an 18-7 overall record, an 8-1 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference and was ranked 74th nationally in the WingSpanBank.com Collegiate Tennis rankings. The mens team finished at 15-13 this season, its first winning season since 1993, and were ranked ninth in Region V in the WingSpanBank.com Rankings.

Rebhuhn, a native of Great Neck, earned his bachelors degree in psychology from Concordia College in 1993. During his collegiate career, Concordia was nationally ranked and he won over 150 matches. Rebhuhn, who played professionally and trained under Carlos Alvarado, serves as the head tennis professional at Leewood Golf Club in Eastchester as well.

Copeland joins St. Johns after having served as the tennis pro at the Binghamton Racquet Club in Edgewater, New Jersey. A 1982 graduate of Pepperdine, Copeland was the captain of the tennis team and was nominated for All-American honors as a senior. Following her graduation, Copeland was an accomplished touring professional for six years. She competed in over 12 different countries on the Virginia Slims World Championship Series Circuit, including four Grand Slam appearances (Wimbledon, United States Open, French and Australian Opens). She was ranked 10th in the world in doubles with longtime partner Lori McNeil before retiring.

Copeland served as the head womens tennis coach at William Patterson University in Wayne, N.J. from 1998-90. She handled all aspects of coaching and recruitment for the Division III program, guiding the team to one of its best records in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

In addition to her tennis experience, Copeland, who earned her degree in television broadcasting, has served as sports editor of Mentor Magazine, a publication designed to motivate Black and Hispanic Youth, appeared in commercial, television and print advertising and served as Assistant Director of One to One New York, a national, non-profit mentoring program.

In other news, Brooke Renkens was named assistant womens basketball coach by St. Johns Head Coach Darcel Estep.

A 2000 graduate of Manhattan College, Renkens obtained her Masters of Arts in Behavioral Science from Kean University this past spring. While at Kean, she served as a graduate assistant coach for the Cougars, who finished with an overall record of 9-15 and a 7-11 conference mark.

A four-year letterwinner for the Lady Jaspers, Renkens was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year and MAAC Long Distance Shooter of the Year in 1997. Renkens, who captained the Lady Jaspers as a senior, holds the school record for career three-pointers (215) and was the programs 13th 1,000-point scorer. In addition, she holds the Jasper record for three-pointers in a single game (seven). Throughout her fantastic career, she was the recipient of the Jasper, Coaches and MVP awards.

I am excited about Brooke joining our staff, says Estep. Her loyalty as a player and a graduate assistant are what intrigued me to bring a person of her caliber to our staff. Since she is not far removed from being a student-athlete, Brooke understands the pressure of being a student-athlete, which will help her bond with the team right away. She was an outstanding player at Manhattan and we look forward to having her work with our program.

A native of the Bronx, Renkens primary responsibilities will include overseeing and developing the camps, clinics and community service in addition to serving as the teams academic coordinator.