Messenger - Vol. 3, No. 1, Page 10 Fall 1993 On Campus Rylander retires, LeRoy to coach men's tennis C Roy "Doc" Rylander, who served longer than any head coach in University of Delaware athletic history, has retired after 41 years as head of the Blue Hen men's tennis program. Laura LeRoy, Delaware '88, who recently completed her first season as head women's tennis coach and as an assistant to Rylander, adds the Blue Hen men's tennis head coaching position to her duties. LeRoy becomes the first woman in University history to serve as head coach of a men's team. Rylander, 72, compiled a 41-year record of 343-176-1 for a winning percentage of .660 since taking over the position in 1953. His 1974 team was 19-3 and won the Middle Atlantic Conference title, while his 1975 team went 15-1, the best season in school history. His teams compiled a total of 34 seasons with a .500 or better record, including 13-3 marks each of the past two seasons. Rylander's record-setting tenure as a head coach in one sport is six years more than former men's swimming coach Harry Rawstrom (1946-81) and 11 more than men's soccer coach Loren Kline (1963-93), who announced his retirement from coaching in March. A Brooklyn native, Rylander earned his bachelor's degree from Southern Illinois University and his master's and Ph.D. degrees from New York University. He joined the Delaware faculty in 1946 and served as head trainer until his retirement from that position in 1988. Rylander was inducted into the National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame in 1986. He also coached the U.D. gymnastics team from 1947-51. LeRoy, 26, a native of Wilmington, Del., is the winningest singles player in Delaware history, compiling a record of 73-12 from 1985-88 and winning two conference singles titles. She was an assistant coach with the women's tennis team for two seasons before taking over the head coaching job last fall. The team earned an 8-6 record and fourth place finish at the North Atlantic Conference championships during her first season as head coach. A former No. 1-ranked amateur player in the state of Delaware in both singles and doubles, LeRoy is pursuing her master's degree in physical education at Delaware.