INDIANAPOLIS - University of Indianapolis Director of Athletics Dr. Sue Willey has announced the hiring of former Indiana State and Austin Peay head coach Malik Tabet to head the UIndy men's and women's tennis programs and serve as director of the UIndy Tennis Center.

"I'm excited to welcome Malik Tabet to the UIndy family and look forward to what he can do for UIndy Tennis," Willey said. "We were very fortunate to find such an experienced candidate that has all the skills to put the Greyhounds back at the top of the Great Lakes Valley Conference and in the NCAA Tournament, while also maintaining the UIndy Tennis Center as a first-class facility."

"I'm very excited and my family is very excited to be back in Indiana," Tabet said. "I'm very excited to be a part of the Greyhound family. It's a university that has great tradition academically and the athletics have had great success, so I'm hoping to contribute with the tennis program and bring it to a new level."

Tabet (pronounced tuh-BAY) spent the last three seasons leading the men and women at Austin Peay, while also running the Governers Tennis Center. Tabet led the men to a 34-21 mark, while the women went 36-30 and won the 2010 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship to advance to the first NCAA Tournament in school history.

"I really want to thank Dr. Willey for allowing me to be a part of this winning tradition and that the athletic department really gives you the tools to work with to be successful."

He was able to mentor the 2011-12 OVC Men's Tennis Player of the Year (Sean Bailey) and the 2009-10 OVC Women's Tennis Player of the Year (Vanja Tomic) as the program tallied 17 combined all-conference nods over his three seasons as coach. Bailey was the first men's player of the year since 1983, while Tomic was the first APSU women's winner since 1994. Tabet also coached the first OVC Freshman of the Year in school history for the women (Carolin Weikard, 2009-10) and the men (Jasmin Ademovic, 2010-11).

"He is well-connected throughout the tennis world, both domestically and internationally," Willey said. "and throughout our meetings he was very personable and is truly a coach that his student-athletes will enjoy learning from and playing for."

Tabet moved to Clarksville, Tenn., after spending the previous six seasons at Indiana State before the program was shut down. He coached the women for six seasons to a record of 107-51, while spending one year as the men's coach during the final season of tennis at ISU (2008-09).


One of his players, Jennifer Migan, received a bid to the 2008 NCAA Individual Tournament and was ranked as high as No. 48 nationally and propelled his No. 1 doubles team to as high as No. 20 nationally.

Overall, Indiana State players won 12 singles championship and six double titles at MVC Individuals (fall) with a total of 12 players earning All-MVC honors.

Tabet was named Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2008 while earning ITA Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2007.

Before joining the Sycamores, Tabet served as an assistant coach of the women's tennis team at the University of Arkansas in 2003.

He also had experience as the men's associate head coach at the University of New Orleans from 2001-03. While with the Privateers, UNO jumped from seventh to third in just one season before earning a second-place finish in the Sun Belt Conference during his second year in charge. Along the way, the Privateers earned a national ranking (No. 62) for the first time in school history. UNO's No. 1 singles player was ranked in the top 50 nationally, while the No. 1 doubles team climbed into the nation's top 40.

As a college student-athlete, Tabet played a significant role in propelling the University of Mobile (Ala.) to the 1997 NAIA National Championship. Ranked as high as fifth in the nation in singles, and 12th in doubles for the Rams during 1997, Mobile finished the 1998 season second in the NAIA national tourney, the same season Tabet was ranked as high as 10th in singles, and eighth in doubles. In 1997 and 1998, the University of Mobile won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championship with Tabet earning NAIA All-American each year.

After transferring to the University of West Florida his senior season, Tabet helped the Argonauts earn the 1999 Gulf South Conference Championship and a third-place finish at the 1999 NCAA Division II National Tournament. He was named a Division II All-American after attaining rankings in singles (No. 12) and doubles (No. 18) play.

After a successful college playing career, Tabet moved into coaching, landing the head position for both the West Georgia men and women's tennis teams from 2000-01. In addition to his coaching duties, Tabet served as the program's primary fundraiser, generating revenue through clinics and pro-am tournaments. While at West Georgia, Tabet led the women's team to the Division II Gulf South Regional.

Tabet also enjoyed a standout career as an international player, competing for the Algerian National Team from 1991-95, as well as the Algerian Davis Cup team. He won more than 90 tournaments in France. Tabet won the 1995 Sham International Tennis Open in Damascus, Syria, before taking top honors at the 1995 Gillette International Tennis Open in Rosas, Spain. In 1996 and 1997, he was champion of the French Rhone-Alps Region and qualified for the French National Championship, held at Rolland Garros, in Paris.

A 1999 magna cum laude graduate of the University of Mobile, Tabet earned a bachelor's degree in foreign languages and holds a master's in applied linguistics from the University of New Orleans, where he worked in the foreign language department as a French instructor. Tabet also earned a baccalaureate in accounting from CUEFA in Grenoble, France.

Tabet assumes the position of John Venter after his resignation at the conclusion of the 2011-12 season.