STILLWATER, Okla. (Aug. 16, 2019) – Former Oklahoma Christian tennis player Jaime Sanchez-Cañamares has been hired as an assistant women's tennis coach at Oklahoma State, OSU head coach Chris Young said Friday.

It will be Sanchez-Cañamares' second stint working at OSU, as he served as a volunteer assistant for the Cowgirls in 2016-17. In 2017-18, he was an assistant coach at Florida State, and he spent 2018-19 as an assistant coach at Nebraska.

"I am thrilled to bring Jaime back to Oklahoma State and to our program," said Young, himself a former OC player and head coach. "He had a big impact during the 2017 season and I have seen him continue to grow as a coach ever since. He is a dynamic recruiter and brings great knowledge and energy to the court on a daily basis, which is important as we help each player develop and maximize their potential.

"This is a very important season for our program and I am thankful to have Jaime assisting me as we strive for championships."

While at Florida State, Sanchez-Cañamares helped the Seminoles to a 21-9 mark and a run to the NCAA Elite Eight, the first in program history. As the volunteer assistant for OSU, Sanchez-Cañamares helped guide the Cowgirls to a 22-5 mark, a Big 12 title and a spot in the NCAA Elite Eight.

"I am grateful to be part of Oklahoma State University and incredibly excited to work together with Chris Young again. To have the chance to support him, establish his vision for the program and continue the success is something very special," Sanchez-Cañamares said.

"I can't wait to get things started and feel the tremendous tennis environment at the Greenwood Tennis Center. My family and I are extremely happy to come back home!"

As a player, Sanchez-Cañamares competed at Fresno Pacific (Calif.), Oklahoma Christian and Embry-Riddle (Fla.), compiling a singles record of 70-14 and a doubles mark of 70-24. A four-time NAIA All-American, he helped Fresno Pacific and Oklahoma Christian to NAIA national titles in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Additionally, he helped Embry-Riddle to national runner-up showings in 2014 and 2015.

Sanchez-Cañamares, from Albacete, Spain, spent two years at OC, in 2012 and 2013. He started on the 2012 national-championship team, posting a 22-1 singles record. He rallied from a 3-1 third-set deficit to win the decisive singles match in a 5-4 semifinal victory over Embry-Riddle, then took a third-set tiebreaker to win his singles match in the final against Fresno Pacific, which OC also won 5-4.

Sanchez-Cañamares made the NAIA All-America second-team list in 2012. In 2013, he was named as a National Christian College Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete and Intercollegiate Tennis Association Academic Scholar.

He left OC following the 2013 season, when the university dropped the tennis program, and transferred to Embry-Riddle.

After playing collegiately, Sanchez-Cañamares coached elite junior and professional players at Saviano High Performance Tennis in Plantation, Fla. Among the players he coached there were 2017 U.S. Open women's champion Sloane Stephens and former Women's Tennis Association standout Eugenie Bouchard.

Sanchez-Cañamares also worked at tennis clubs in Spain, New Jersey and Connecticut during the summers between his collegiate seasons. He served as the director of the performance academy at La Manga Club in Spain, where he coached and developed junior players, including 2018 Wimbledon Junior Championships runner-up Jack Draper. 

Sanchez-Cañamares earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Embry-Riddle in 2015, graduating summa cum laude while finishing with a 4.0 GPA. He and his wife, Veronica, have one daughter, Emily, and are expecting their second child in October.