University of Illinois Director of Athletics Ron Guenther filled yet another coaching vacancy in the Illinois athletics department last week, announcing the hiring of Michelle Dasso as the new women’s tennis coach.

Dasso becomes the seventh Illini women’s tennis coach in the program’s history, replacing former head coach Sujay Lama, who resigned in May after eight seasons at Illinois. Dasso comes to Illinois after starting her coaching career as an assistant at her alma mater the University of Notre Dame.

“I’m absolutely thrilled and looking forward to the opportunity to build a great program,” Dasso said. “I’m really anxious to meet the team and officially start practice with them. I’m looking forward to building a relationship with the girls and setting a foundation down for the future.”

Dasso was recently named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Assistant Coach of the Year after helping lead the Fighting Irish to a 27-2 record and a No. 2 national ranking before watching her Irish fall in the quarterfinals of the 2006 NCAA Championships.

In only three years of coaching Dasso has developed a reputation as a great recruiter. She played an instrumental role in this year’s Irish signing class that was ranked as the top class in the country by tennis recruiting.net. In addition she has been a part of recruiting two All-Americans.

“Coming from Notre Dame will be an easy transition hopefully,” Dasso said. “The climate will be similar since they’re both in the Midwest and that will help with recruiting. Over the last three years we were able to improve our program at Notre Dame, and being able to see how you can improve a team and move up if you keep working hard is something that will help me here.”

Dasso, who hails from Long Grove, Ill., became the most decorated women’s tennis player in Notre Dame history during her career as an Irish. She was named the ITA National Senior Player of the Year in 2001 and is Notre Dame’s only four-time All-American.

She still ranks at the top the Irish record books in almost every statistical category, including career singles victories (140), career doubles victories (109), season singles victories (40), and combined season victories (74).

After graduating from Notre Dame in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration-marketing, she spent two injury-plagued years playing professionally before returning to South Bend, Ind., to rejoin the Irish as a coach.

“The men’s tennis team at Illinois has always been successful and I think it’s part of the reason there is so much enthusiasm surrounding tennis at Illinois,” Dasso said. “It seems there is so much interest in the tennis program and it obviously has to do with the success of the men and I’m hoping it carries over to women’s side.”