NYU Athletics

After guiding his team to a six-win improvement last season over its 2006-07 total, Horace Choy returns for his second season as head coach of the New York University men’s program. He is also entering his 16th season as the Violets’ women’s coach.

Choy’s squad finished with a 10-9 record, including victories in eight of their final 10 matches. NYU secured a fifth-place finish at the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships and was ranked #13 in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Northeast Region rankings.

Including their victory over Division I Fordham University, the Violets’ performance in 2007-08 represented a substantial improvement over their 4-14 record and sixth-place showing at the UAA Championships the previous campaign.

Last season, Choy helped senior Mikhail Gurevich go a career-best 21-5 at #1 singles, earn Second Team All-UAA accolades and finish the campaign ranked #12 in the ITA Northeast Region rankings. Meanwhile, juniors Craig Berger (12-7) and Calvin Chou (15-10), as well as sophomore P.J. Marranca (15-7), enjoyed their finest collegiate seasons.

Choy has done similarly commendable work with the NYU women’s program, producing .500-or-better seasons in 10 of the past 11 seasons and 13 of 15 overall. His career record is 122-88.

In 2007-08, Choy guided the Violets’ women to an 8-8 mark and a sixth-place showing at the UAA Championships. NYU finished the year ranked #14 in the ITA Northeast Region.

A 1987 graduate of NYU’s School of Business and Public Administration, Choy was a two-year member of the Violets’ men’s tennis team. He is a United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) certified teaching pro since 1990. Choy also works as a tennis instructor at NYU.

Prior to coming to NYU, Choy spent five seasons as the head girls’ tennis coach at New York City’s Hunter High School. His teams compiled a 38-2 record during his tenure at the school and three times advanced to the semifinals of the Public School Athletic League playoffs. Choy helped lead Hunter to the PSAL Championship match in 1990 and to two semifinal appearances in the Mayor’s Cup competition.

Choy has also worked at many prestigious tennis clubs around New York City, including the East River Tennis Club, the Crosstown Tennis Club, and at the USTA National Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open.

“I have always enjoyed the camaraderie that comes with team sports,” Choy said. “Tennis also allows you to work on aspects of the game on your own. In a match, the player is out there on the line and you have to rely on your own character. I believe that playing college tennis really gives you the best of both worlds, and I really enjoy the challenge of helping my players through that.”

A Manhattan native and resident, Choy is married to Silvana Cipriano, a 1994 NYU graduate and four-year swimming team member, and is the proud father of Miranda Rose and newborn Alexander James.