TYLER, TEXAS – The University of Texas at Tyler has announced the hiring of Chris Wootton as their new men's and women's assistant coach, effective immediately.
 
"We're thrilled to have Coach Wootton as part of our program, head coach Chris Bizot said. "His knowledge and experience as a Division 1 Power 5 tennis coach will help both of our programs reach new heights. He has an incredible passion for coaching and developing players to maximize themselves on and off the court. As a former player at UT Tyler, he loves this program and we are so happy to bring him back!"
 
Wootton comes to the program with several strong ties to the area as he competed as a Patriot from 2013-2015, capping off his career with the Patriots by being named an ITA All-American in doubles after pairing with teammate Frankie Fischer.
 
 "It is an honor to be back at my alma mater for a new chapter in my family's lives," Wootton said. "This is an exciting moment for me personally. The dream is to help lead these teams to national championships. I will wake up everyday with a few goals in mind: one, be a great person and mentor to these young adults as I help lead them through their journeys, and two, win conference and national titles with both teams. I promise to bring passion, loyalty, confidence and determination to my job here at the university. I want to personally thank Dr. Patterson and Coach Bizot for their belief and trust in me. My family loves Tyler and the community and we are excited to be home!"
 
He continued his career with the Patriots as a Graduate Assistant from 2015-2016, before taking his first assistant coaching job with Williams College, helping the women's program claim a national championship in 2017.
 
From there Wootton moved on to the NCAA Division I ranks, working as an assistant coach with the women's program at the University of Southern California from 2017-2019 before taking on the Associate Women's Head Coach position at the University of Missouri from 2019-2020.
 
In 2020, Wootton became the Head Coach for the University of Missouri women's program and held that title until 2023.
 
Wootton is joined by his wife Robin and their two daughters Christiane and Isabel in returning to Tyler.