A-State women’s tennis head coach Sujay Lama gets contract extension

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) – Arkansas State Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Chris Pezman announced Thursday that women’s tennis head coach Sujay Lama has signed a new agreement that extends his contract through June 30, 2030.

“Sujay Lama has made Arkansas State Women’s Tennis one of the premier programs in the Sun Belt Conference through his unwavering commitment to excellence, student-athlete development and championship-level success,” said Pezman. “His leadership has produced consistent results on the field while fostering a culture that emphasizes academic achievement, personal growth and competitive excellence.

“This contract extension reflects our confidence in Sujay’s vision for the future of the program and our appreciation for the impact he continues to make on our student-athletes and the university. We are proud of the success our women’s tennis program has achieved under his leadership and are excited about the continued growth and opportunities ahead of us. Sujay represents the very best of Arkansas State Athletics and we look forward to supporting him as he continues to elevate Red Wolves Tennis for years to come.”

Lama completed his third season at A-State in 2026 by leading the Red Wolves to their first Division I postseason appearance and a championship at the UTR Sports NIT. A-State finished the 2026 campaign with a 16-9 record, the program’s best mark since a 2002 mark of 16-8.

“I would like to sincerely thank our leadership team – Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Chris Pezman, Interim Chancellor Dr. Calvin White and System President Dr. Todd Shields – for their faith, trust and belief in our vision for A-State Women’s Tennis,” said Lama. “Their support has played a huge role in the growth of our program, and I am honored by the opportunity to continue to lead our student-athletes. I would also like to thank Assistant Coach Marshall Mordecai and our entire support staff, who have spent countless hours behind the scenes building this program from the ground up. Their commitment, professionalism and hard work have been critical to everything we have accomplished together.”

“Most importantly, none of this would have been possible without our incredible student-athletes. They believed in our vision from day one and embraced the challenge of setting a standard of excellence, both on the field and in the classroom. I am equally grateful for the continued support we have received from our community, which I believe is truly among the very best in the country. While we are proud of what we have accomplished, we are just getting started. There is much more to accomplish and we are excited about the opportunities and successes ahead of us.”

Last season’s 16 wins marked only the seventh time in program history that an A-State team recorded more than 16 wins. The Red Wolves have 29 wins over the last two seasons, the most in a two-year span since they had 30 wins in the 1999 (13-8) and 2000 (17-4) seasons.

The Red Wolves are coming off consecutive seasons of at least 13 wins after last reaching that mark in 2008. A-State earned its first-ever win over a ranked opponent in program history with a 4-0 sweep of No. 74 South Alabama on April 10.

Lama’s 37 wins over the past three seasons are the most by an A-State tennis coach in the first three seasons, surpassing Marcia Williams’ total of 23 between 1981 and 1983. The 37 wins in a three-year span are the most for the program since winning 40 games between 2000 and 2002 with records of 17-4, 7-15 and 16-8.

The Red Wolves return six of the seven players from the 2025-2026 roster that had the best national ranking in program history at No. 86 in the final ITA rankings. A-State was ranked No. 9 in the final ITA Central Region rankings last season, the first top-10 regional ranking in program history.

According to TennisRecruiting.net, A-State’s incoming recruiting class of Sara Kastakova and Lara Margocova is ranked highest in the Sun Belt Conference and No. 4 among mid-majors.

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