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Syracuse Athletics

Syracuse tennis coach Younes Limam reacts to Daryl Gross stepping down as Director of Athletics

By Sam Fortier

The announcement came Wednesday morning that Daryl Gross is no longer Syracuse University’s Director of Athletics and has become SU’s vice president and special assistant to the chancellor. He will also serve as an adjunct sport management professor in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.

Younes Limam, the Orange’s head tennis coach, did not see the move coming.

“I was a little bit shocked like everybody else in the department,” Limam said. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

The announcement came only 12 days after the NCAA’s sanctions were reported in a 94-page report. Gross was hired as the director of athletics in December 2004.

Limam, the first-year tennis coach, didn’t have long to get to know Gross, but said a few things came across in his short time on the job.



“He’s a very passionate AD,” he said. “We were very fortunate to have him as our AD and he’s done a tremendous job. He cares tremendously.”

Limam’s predecessor, Luke Jensen, spoke to the Daily Orange and echoed similar sentiments about Gross’ overwhelmingly positive impact on not only the tennis program, but SU athletics as a whole.

One of the things Gross is commended for is his transition into the Atlantic Coast Conference, which Limam has said throughout the season is highly advantageous for his program. From its prestige aiding the recruitment process to the heightened level of competition, Limam has praised the Syracuse conference move.

Gross also receives praise for his ability to help improve SU’s Olympic sports. Tennis has reaped those rewards as well, achieving a historic, program-best 34th national ranking earlier this season in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

Limam, while stunned, said that Syracuse tennis can’t focus too much on the Gross situation however, because they fly out of Syracuse airport tomorrow morning.

“Right now, we’re just a little bit shocked and surprised,” he said. “But we just have to move on because we have a match on Friday.”





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