Sampras Changes Coach Again
February 27, 2002
After a short 'trial period' with Gullikson, Higueras is next in line.
The coaching alliance between Pete Sampras and Tom Gullikson lasted less than four months, two tournaments, one trip to Australia and did not survive the outdoor hard-court season.
Sampras, who hired Gullikson to take Paul Annacone's spot in December, has made yet another move, an intriguing one, by replacing Gullikson with Jose Higueras. The arrangement with Gullikson was only supposed to be a test run, until the Miami tournament in late March, Sampras said Tuesday.
"The trial period is over and we still remain very close friends," Sampras told The Times. "Also, I will be working with Jose Higueras and he will still be working with Paul [Annacone] and the USTA." Higueras, who twice reached the French Open semifinals in the early '80s, is the kind of coach players speak about in reverential tones. Under his guidance, Michael Chang won the French Open in 1989, the first American male to win in Paris since 1955 and, at times, has worked with Todd Martin and Jim Courier.
Of late, Higueras has been the men's coach for the USTA's touring pro program. He will still retain that job--which is being redefined by his boss, who happens to be Annacone.
"He's a terrific coach, great person, honest, works hard," said Annacone, the managing director of USA Tennis High Performance. "There's no smoke and mirrors, what you see is what you get. It's a great opportunity for Pete and the USTA. It's going be mutually beneficial.
"Coaching is personal preference. He's at the stage where he needs something different than me and, I guess, than Gully, and I think Jose can bring that to the table for him."
Gullikson was with Sampras at the Australian Open, where Sampras lost to Marat Safin in the fourth round. Speculation is Gullikson could end up coaching a female player, possibly Jennifer Capriati.
Higueras, who is based at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, will also have
his duties expanded to work with female players in the USTA's program. He
won't necessarily be with Sampras at every tournament,
Annacone said.
"[Sampras] has been able to come to terms with a different schedule, so he can get the benefit of using [Higueras'] skills without having to take him away from the focus with us, so everyone will be happy.
"Pete gets our kids aware of what it is like to be a champion,"
Annacone said. "Ideally, I've got to look out for the program. Whenever
I can get an elite champion, whether it's Pete, Andre [Agassi] or Lindsay
[Davenport], I'll try to do that to make that reality."
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