Cesar Vargas joined the Elon University men’s tennis coaching staff in June 2015 and is in his fourth season as an assistant coach in 2018-19.
With a veteran group in 2017-18 comprised of a redshirt senior, six juniors, one sophomore and two freshmen, Elon went 16-8 with its sixth-straight trip to at least the conference tournament semifinals. During the year, the Phoenix rattled off seven-straight victories, which is the longest streak since Elon won seven straight during the 2016 spring season. At season's end, Felipe Sarrasague was named the CAA's Player of the Year after going 14-8 in singles with a 12-8 mark at No. 1 while also posting a 13-7 doubles record. With the major award, Sarrasague became the fourth Player of the Year honoree in Elon's Division I history, all of which have come in a six-season span going back to 2013. Mario Paccini was also named a First Team All-CAA singles honoree and he and Neal Port took home First Team All-CAA doubles honors.
Vargas's second season with the Phoenix in 2016-17 saw the Elon post a 12-12 record with a fifth-straight trip to the semifinals of the conference tournament. Though struggling out of the gate, Elon responded nicely down the stretch to win its final three regular-season matches and earned a win in the CAA Quarterfinals over Hofstra to finish the season at .500. During the season, the team went to Hawaii for a study abroad trip over spring break. While on the trip, the Phoenix played a match against the Rainbow Warriors and earned a 6-1 victory over Hawaii. After the season, Sarrasague was named First Team All-CAA in singles while Chris Humphreys and Petar Tomic picked up First Team All-CAA in doubles. Both Paccini Salvador Mijares earned Second Team All-CAA singles nods and Mijares paired with Port to earn Second Team All-CAA doubles honors.
In his first season with Elon during the 2015-16 season, the Phoenix completed its second season in the CAA with a 17-6 overall record and the earned the No. 3 seed in the 2016 CAA Men's Tennis Championships. It was the third time in the last four seasons that the Phoenix program amassed 17 or more dual match victories in a single season. Sarrasague was named 2016 CAA Rookie of the Year, becoming the fifth player in program history to earn the honor. Elon also placed six players on the All-Conference teams, and the Phoenix earned CAA Weekly honors four times during the season.
Prior to Elon, Vargas spent the 2014-15 season on the men’s and women’s tennis coaching staffs at USC Upstate in Spartanburg, S.C. Prior to his stint at Upstate, he was a member of the Georgia State staff for two seasons, which included a run as interim head coach in the fall of 2012.
During his stint as interim head coach at Georgia State, he compiled a 44-9 record with three singles and two doubles titles, the best fall season in program history. His team was 21-1 in the first tournament he coached.
Georgia State captured the 2013 Sun Belt Conference Championship in the team's first-ever appearance in Sun Belt Conference Championships and first Sun Belt Championship in program history. The team had a big win against No. 49 ETSU and qualified for the NCAA Championships. Georgia State finished the year ranked No. 61 in the nation.
He also coached the team’s No. 1 singles player to a 28-9 singles record, a high ranking of No. 54 rank in the country, and runner-up finish at ITA Southeast Regional Championships, which earned him a spot in the ITA/USTA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships. He was the first player in program history to achieve the feat and first to earn a berth into the 2013 NCAA Singles Championships.
Vargas also led one of his doubles teams to a 14-2 dual match record, and a high ranking of No. 38 in the nation. They earned a spot in the 2013 NCAA Doubles Championships, the first doubles team to do so in program history and they reached the quarterfinals at NCAA's after defeating the ninth-ranked team in the country.
Vargas played collegiately at the University of Nebraska and served as team co-captain while competing at the No. 2 singles and doubles positions during his senior season. He graduated in 2004 with a double degree in international business and marketing and served as a graduate assistant with the team for one season following graduation.
Originally from Mazatlan, Mexico, Vargas was a four-time state champion while competing in the Mexican Junior Circuit. He also played prep school tennis at Edina High School in Edina, Minn., where he won the team and individual Minnesota State High School Class AA Championship.
Vargas is a certified teaching professional by both the United States Professional Tennis Association and the Professional Tennis Registry.
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Coaching Timeline
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| 2004-05 |
Graduate Assistant Coach, University of Nebraska |
| 2012-13 |
Assistant Coach, Georgia State University (Interim Head Coach, Fall 2012) |
| 2014-15 |
Assistant Coach, USC Upstate |
| 2015-Present |
Assistant Coach, Elon University |
