Catawba College

Michael Cabana '01 has been named the head coach of the Catawba College Men's and Women's Tennis programs, Catawba's Vice President for Athletics Michelle Caddigan announced Wednesday, Apr. 22.

Cabana returns to his alma mater after 20 successful years as a collegiate tennis coach between Wingate University and Queens University of Charlotte.

"We are thrilled to welcome Michael Cabana back to Catawba as our new head tennis coach," Caddigan said. "Michael brings an outstanding résumé of accomplishments on and off the court, but what truly sets him apart is the kind of person he is. Coach Cabana is someone who leads with integrity, builds meaningful relationships and represents our ideals and values at the highest level. As a proud Catawba alumnus and member of our Hall of Fame, he understands exactly what this institution stands for. That connection, combined with his competitive success and passion for developing student-athletes, makes him the perfect leader for our tennis program. Welcome home, Coach Cabana!"

An 18-time South Atlantic Conference Tennis Coach of the Year, Cabana led the Wingate programs to 19 regular season titles and 11 conference tournament titles in his 18 seasons as head coach of the program, leading the Bulldogs to 19 NCAA Tournament berths between the two teams.

In 2016, Cabana was named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Women's National Coach of the Year.

"I'm incredibly grateful to President Nelson and Vice President for Athletics Michelle Caddigan for the opportunity to return to where my collegiate career began," Cabana said. "The chance to coach, and ultimately finish my career, at my alma mater is truly special and difficult to put into words. I'm deeply thankful to my family for their unwavering love and support. I look forward to carrying on the program's success and building a culture that our players, alumni and community can be proud of."

In addition to Cabana's teams' success on the court, they were equally impressive in the classroom. His Wingate teams consistently earned among the best GPAs of athletic teams on campus, while his student-athletes earned 18 Academic All-America honors and four SAC Scholar-Athletes of the Year.

Cabana's ultra-successful collegiate tennis career started in Salisbury, where he starred for the Catawba Men's Tennis program as a student-athlete. He was a four-time All-SAC First Team selection and a member of the 2001 men's team that captured the SAC Tournament championship – Catawba's first tennis title in either program's histories. Cabana was inducted into the Catawba Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021.

Cabana and his wife, Meredith – a fellow Catawba College alum – reside in Waxhaw with their daughters Myla and Lea.