When the Man Comes Around
April 7, 2005
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – When we think of the “American Dream” it’s hard to focus on one aspect as the phrase has become somewhat of a cliché. The American Dream is the realization of achievement on American soil but, in actuality success is a global quality. This story however falls within the American Dream category as one man achieved his dream on American soil based solely on his drive, determination, heart, and a number of other words that have been exploited and overused as to desensitize the public. If you feel these stories have been repeated to ad-nausea, then this story is not for you. This is the story of Mario Rincon, the head coach of the University of Miami’s men’s tennis team.
Our story of the American dream begins abroad in Bogotá, the capital of Columbia. Rincon was born and raised here. He grew up with his siblings Jose, Eduardo, Christina, and Juan and spent his days playing soccer where he excelled as a young man. His love for Columbia’s national sport would be short lived as his father, Mario Senior taught him a game that would forever change his life, tennis.
The young Rincon began playing tennis under the tutelage of his father, and began to excel and soon left behind his soccer days. Rincon would excel against the local competition as he aged and spent many hours practicing with his father and perfecting his craft. At the age of 18 Mario was offered the opportunity of a lifetime a tennis scholarship at North Greenville College. The young Rincon left Columbia for his first stint in the United States.
Rincon would dominate during his brief stint at North Greenville College (1986-87), where he would become an All-American and National Junior College Champion in 1987. Rincon would be afforded a great opportunity after his stellar season as he was offered a scholarship at the University of Kentucky. Kentucky proved challenging to Rincon but he continued to work diligently and continued to grow as a player. The 1988 season would be the crescendo to his collegiate career. This is when Rincon began to reach his full potential. Rincon would capture the 1988 SEC Player of the Year Award. This achievement would open up many avenues that a young man from Columbia may not have known about. Stage one of the America Dream, the initial tastes of success was complete.
Rincon did not initially graduate from the University of Kentucky instead he did what many current collegiate athletes do, he turned pro. Rincon entered the world of professional tennis, a world which he was not fully prepared for. The professional tennis circuit is a difficult endeavor. Unknowns like Rincon must endure qualifying match after qualifying match. Rincon did not fare too well during this time.
Rincon made his name dominating the SEC in last collegiate year but now that meant nothing. He had won several smaller tournaments all with little-to-no-consequence when it came to the professional circuit. Despite clearing some wins against known opponents Rincon was unable to qualify for a Grandslam. He tried to qualify and made it to the main draw of the U.S. Open; he failed to qualify for Wimbledon, the French Open, and the Australian Open. Meanwhile he continued to play on the Association of Tennis Players (ATP) tour, and in 1989 became a member of Columbia’s Davis Cup team. Rincon would travel this road for nine years.
In this time Rincon would move to Tokyo and join the Japanese professional tour where he would eventually reach the rank of No.2 singles player. Towards the end of his professional career Rincon would become the captain of Columbia’s Davis Cup team in 1997 the same year he was named Columbia’s National Player of the Year. Rincon would retire from professional competition in 1998 but would go onto coach his brother Eduardo on the Japanese circuit as they had been Davis Cup teammates in 1997 and 1998.
1998 would be a fateful year for Rincon as a simple blind date turned into a seven year commitment when mutual friends set him up with his future wife, Laura. The two were wed and Rincon’s professional career was over but his coaching skills were still being formed. Just as his father had shaped him and Eduardo, he too was beginning to see the game from a new perspective. Rincon was starting to take his tennis insights and began to translate them from a players’ perspective to that of a coach’s.
Rincon and Laura and their young daughter Laura Sophia returned to the United States where Rincon finally got his degree from the University of Kentucky in 2001. Shortly after his graduation another opportunity arose, a chance to be a collegiate assistant coach at the University of Alabama. Rincon accepted and relocated to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Stage two of the American dream was complete, Rincon had notoriety in his native land, he had the girl of his dreams and he had an opportunity that he could parlay into grander ventures.
Rincon’s success at Alabama was quite impressive despite, an on-going head-coaching carousel that provided two head-coaches over three years. In 2002 Alabama clinched a birth in the NCAA tournament and finished with a No.18 ranking nationally. Rincon was on his way to becoming a head coach despite being overlooked in favor of Billy Yates in 2002 for the vacant Alabama position. Rincon was also blessed with his second daughter, Daniela.
Rincon got the call in the fall of 2004. It was Miami Athletic Director Paul Dee. Rincon was to fulfill his secret childhood dream; he was going to be a tennis coach much like his father had been to him. He was going to have the ability to shape the careers of young men and impart his knowledge upon them. Rincon had come full circle, from a crowded house in Bogotá via Japan, Australia, ups and downs, love and defeat, Rincon had achieved his dream, the American Dream. He was a head coach.
If you were to enter the Neil Schiff Tennis Center you would see two little girls running around in Miami dresses while their mother peers over beneath the clout of sunglasses. An older gentleman would be seated nearby also keeping one eye on the one on the children and the other on the courts below. This is the Rincon family. Mario Senior and Ernestia have moved to Miami to help their son’s family acclimate to their new lives. Below stands their son, just outside the lines with sun-glasses and a baseball cap looking on, living the American Dream.
Mario Rincon is the head coach of the men’s tennis team at the University of Miami. He worked his way into this position and in all honesty most people will never recognize this. Rincon will not have the notoriety of Larry Coker or Frank Haith but just like those two men he earned his spot through his hard work and sacrifice. Rincon immigrated to the United States with ambition and spirit and those traits carried him through to his childhood dream of coaching. His legacy will ultimately be decided by wins and losses but his success in getting to where he is just as important. Without the American Dream what would we have?
