Longtime Cal men's assistant accepts position at club

   Tyler Browne, the associate head coach of the California men's team and a former Bears standout, will become the director of racquet sports at the nearby Orinda Country Club, Cal head coach Peter Wright announced Wednesday.
   Browne recently completed his 13th season on the Cal coaching staff, highlighted by the Bears' semifinal run in the 2016 NCAA Championship in Tulsa, Okla.
   "It's bittersweet to be leaving a place that has been so special to me over my 17-year career – being a student-athlete first from 2003 to 2008, then immediately jumping onto the coaching staff in 2008," Browne said in a news release. "To turn that page has been very difficult for me.
   "I can't speak highly enough of the people that I've been surrounded with here at Cal. To be working with Peter Wright for as many years as I have and then to be mentored by him has been an invaluable experience for which I will always be grateful.
   "Working with administrators and with all the colleagues that I consider my friends over the years has been completely enriching. The relationships that I've built with student-athletes, former teammates and alums has really made Cal special. I wouldn't be the person I am today without those friendships."
   Browne was named the ITA Northwest Regional Assistant Coach of the Year four times (2012, 2015, 2017 and 2019). Cal reached the postseason every year during Browne's tenure and had the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation in 2017. Since 2008, Browne has worked with seven Cal All-Americans, including professional players Ben McLachlan, Andre Goransson, Florian Lakat and Filip Bergevi.
   As a Cal player, Browne went 72-59 in singles and added 46 doubles victories in four years. A product of nearby Walnut Creek, he was ranked as high as No. 56 in singles and No. 12 in doubles. Browne was named to the All-Pac-10 second team as a junior in 2006 and received honorable mention in 2007.
   "Tyler's legacy as a player and coach at Cal is nothing short of remarkable," Wright said. "On a daily basis, he shared his passion for tennis, as well as his fierce loyalty and dedication to our players, team and university.
   "It's been my absolute pleasure to watch Tyler grow from a high-level junior player to an outstanding college player to becoming one of the finest college coaches in the country, earning many titles and coaching awards along the way."