Cary Hodges returned to the Roadrunners' coaching staff in 2018 and is set to begin his third season of his second stay with the Metropolitan State University of Denver tennis program.
He helped the Roadrunners' women's team to fifth place and the men to seventh at the Pacific West Conference Tournament in MSU Denver's first season in the league as an affiliate member.
Hodges helped MSU Denver compile dual records of 6-4 for the women and 3-4 for the men before the 2019-20 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Three Roadrunners men were ranked in the final regional poll (Daniel Llorente, No. 9; Mateo Besada, No. 13; Alejandro Martinez-Morilla, No. 15), while two MSU Denver women were also regionally ranked (Brooklyn Ross, No. 6; Tabitha Porter, No. 9). The women received votes in the final NCAA Division II poll, while Ross earned regional women's rookie of the year and Besada was named regional men's most improved senior player.
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In his first season on the staff of Josh Graetz, Hodges helped the MSU Denver women to a third straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular-season title and a 13-10 overall record, while the Roadrunners' men compiled a 9-8 record. Both teams narrowly missed qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
Hodges was previously on the Roadrunners' staff as an assistant coach for four years, through the 2015-16 season. He is currently the Director of Racquet Sports at Arapahoe Tennis Club and has held that position since 2005.
In 2014-15, he helped the Roadrunners men reach the RMAC championship match and post a 14-10 record. The women's team finished third in the RMAC. The men's team was ranked as high as 46th in NCAA Division II and Graetz, then a sophomore, finished the year ranked No. 44 in singles after going 21-7 as the No. 1 player and earning All-RMAC first team. The men's squad earned wins over two nationally-ranked teams during the season. Hodges also helped coach the men's and women's RMAC freshmen of the year in Calum Hayes and Courtney Wright.
In 2013-14, Hodges helped guide the men's team to a 12-11 record, including 3-2 in the RMAC. The women's team, which featured five freshmen, had a 4-20 record, including 0-5 in the RMAC. Hodges helped coach the RMAC men's and women's freshmen of the year as Graetz took home the honors on the men's side and Wanda Holopainen did so for the women. Graetz finished the season ranked No. 49 in NCAA Division II and broke the school record for wins in a season and consecutive wins at No. 1 singles, going 24-7. Holopainen's sister Naomi, who missed most of the spring with an injury, won the Fall ITA South Central Region singles championship.
In his first season, Hodges assisted Beck Meares in her final season as head coach in 2012-13. The women's team went 14-14 overall and 4-1 in the RMAC, narrowly missing the NCAA Tournament. The men's team went 12-16 overall and 2-3 in the RMAC.
Prior to his time with Arapahoe Tennis Club, Hodges was a staff professional at Colorado Athletic Club Monaco for over five years after spending three years as a high school tennis coach. He coached D'Evelyn High School's boys' team in 1997 and the Pueblo Centennial boys and girls teams for two seasons, 1995 and 1996.
Hodges earned his bachelor's degree from Colorado State University-Pueblo in sociology and political science, graduating cum laude. He was a three-time Colorado Athletic Conference singles and doubles champion and was a two-time academic all-conference honoree.
A native of Pueblo, Colo., Hodges is a certified tennis professional from the United States Professional Tennis Association and serves as the Intermountain Division regional vice president. He and his wife Jamie have a son, Caleb.
