ATHENS, Ga. — Legendary Georgia Bulldogs men's head tennis coach Manuel Diaz announced his retirement on Thursday.
Diaz will retire at the end of the 2023-24 season, a release from the University of Georgia stated.
The head tennis coach is the SEC's all-time leader in career wins who has helped guide UGA to 29 conference championships, four NCAA national titles and a pair of ITA indoor national championships in 36 years, according to the release.
Diaz has been a part of Georgia's men's tennis program for 46 years. He was a two-time All-American, playing from 1972-1975. He also served on Coach Dan Magill’s staff as an assistant/associate head coach from 1982-1988.
Over each of the last five decades, he's been a part of each of UGA's national championship teams and has won SEC championships.
"It’s a difficult decision to step away from something that has been such a huge part of my life and that I’ve loved for so long," Diaz said. "Georgia tennis has given me so much, and I want to thank all our fans from all over the world."
Diaz is a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico. He's a member of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame, the Puerto Rican Tennis Hall of Fame and the USTA Southern Tennis Hall of Fame.
"When reflecting back on my time as a coach, what I cherish most is the brotherhood our teams shared. We have competed at the highest levels and won championships, but my favorite part of coaching has always been mentoring our players and watching them grow into phenomenal fathers and professionals. I want to thank them for an unbelievable 46 years and a lifetime of memories," he added.