Paul Xanthos

Paul J. Xanthos is Professor Emeritus of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at Los Angles Pierce College. He earned the A. B. Degree at Occidental College and the M.S degree, General, Secondary, and Administrative Credentials at the University of Southern California. During his seventeen years teaching and coaching at North Hollywood High School, he taught health and physical education for boys and introduced tennis to the Los Angeles City School System. As tennis coach at North...See more

Paul J. Xanthos is Professor Emeritus of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at Los Angles Pierce College. He earned the A. B. Degree at Occidental College and the M.S degree, General, Secondary, and Administrative Credentials at the University of Southern California. During his seventeen years teaching and coaching at North Hollywood High School, he taught health and physical education for boys and introduced tennis to the Los Angeles City School System. As tennis coach at North Hollywood High School, Xanthos' tennis teams compiled an amazing 138-8 league record, with fourteen championships and three second places. As men's tennis coach at Los Angeles Pierce College, his teams won 347 conference matches while losing only 35. He led his teams to four consecutive Western States Conference Championships, with a win streak of 66 consecutive matches. He had an overall record at Pierce of 500 wins and 90 losses; consecutive wins of 66, 96 and 40; 12consecutive championships. At Pierce, he chaired the Men's P.E. department for six years, received Outstanding Educator Award, Professor of the Month and three golden apples. He received the National Award of Teaching Excellence from the University of Texas. He has been internationally acclaimed as a "teacher of teachers" and a "master of large group instruction, " having conducted more than 600 tennis clinics and workshops worldwide. Moving up to the Metropolitan Conference, his teams won thirteen conference championships and another two WSC Championships. He was instrumental in the organization of the AAHPERD/USTA Lifetimes sports Education Project (1965-1969) and the USLTA National Tennis Teachers conference (1970-present.). In 1974, Xanthos and Vic Braden were co-recipients of the USLTA Award of Merit "for outstanding service to tennis educational programs," two of the earliest recipients of the award. In 1979, the California Coaches Association selected him, as Community College Tennis Coach of the year and in 1984 was the first recipient of the Wilson Sporting Goods Company Award of California Community College Coach of the Year. He was also USPTA Master Professional and Nation Coach of the Year. He was one of the first to be named a Unites States Professional Tennis Association Master Professional. In the 1988, he was honored as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Community College Coach of the Year. ITA honored him again in 1994, becoming the only community college coach to be inducted into the Men's Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame. He was also again USPTA Coach of the year in 1994. In 1996 he was inducted into the AHEPA Hall of Fame and into the California Community College Coaches Hall of Fame. In 1999 he was inducted into the USPTA Hall of Fame. See less