Audra Nothwehr

Hometown: Clarinda, Iowa Last College: Concordia University (2001) Position: Head Coach

Experience: 5th Year

Updated September 21, 2011

Audra Nothwehr enters her fifth season at Southern Illinois University with a record of 55-42 overall and 18-14 in Missouri Valley Conference play.

In 2011 Salukis are coming off of a 12-13 overall record (4-5 MVC). Southern was led by Melanie Delsart's 12-10 #1 singles record.

The 2010 Salukis began right where they left off in the previous season. After an arduous non-conference schedule that saw them face Marshall, Louisville, and Tulane early in the year, the team persevered and posted a 15-9 record overall (5-2 MVC) and advanced . In addition, Melanie Delsart earned MVC Freshman of the Year honors, becoming the first Saluki tennis player to earn the award. In addition, Martina Vianna Ce earned her third MVC Scholar-Athlete team nod, while Emily Whitney was honorable mention.

2009 was a year of great progress for the Saluki women's tennis program, as seniors Fadzai Mawisire and Ame Blacketer headlined Southern's best finish in 18 years with a 17-8 overall record. Both players were named MVC all-conference, while Mawisire was named the Valley's Player of the Year. The Salukis would advance all the way to the MVC semifinals before bowing out.

In the 2008 season, Nothwehr led the Salukis to a 11-12 record (4-4 MVC). Southern was led by senior Sabine Tsala Mvilong's 15-8 record in top singles and Jessica Flannery's 13-9 mark in singles.

Prior to joining the Salukis, Nothwehr spent four seasons as head coach of men's and women's tennis at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Ky. During the 2007 season, she was a finalist for NAIA National Women's Coach of the Year. In addition, Nothwehr was named the Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year in 2005, 2006, and 2007.

In three years at LWC, she took the women's team from last in their conference to a semi-finalist finish in the NAIA National Tournament. Nothwehr also improved the Men's team from 16th in the nation to a quarterfinalist finish at the NAIA National Tournament. In addition to transitioning both teams, she coached six men's and three women's NAIA All-Americans. In four years of coaching men's and women's tennis in the NAIA, Nothwehr posted a career record of 100-30.

A native of Clarinda, Iowa, Nothwehr did her undergraduate studies at Concordia University in Seward, Neb., where she obtained a bachelor degree in Sport Management. She played No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles for four years at Concordia, in addition to playing varsity volleyball for the Bulldogs. Nothwehr was named the Great Plains Athletic Conference Tennis Player of the Year in 2000. She was All Conference for four years in tennis as well as Academic All American in 2000 and 2001 in both volleyball and tennis.

Nothwehr became a Graduate Assistant Coach at Concordia University while getting her Masters Degree in Education Administration with a specialization in Post-Secondary Athletics. At the same time, she fulfilled her graduate internship working for the volleyball office at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.