Bronx and Poughkeepsie, NY — Fordham University and Vassar College have appointed head squash coaches.
Sahel Anwar will lead Fordham this coming season. He becomes only the third head coach of the program in the last 60 years. Bob Hawthorn, a member of the College Squash Hall of Fame, started coaching the Fordham squash program in 1956 and led it until his retirement at the end of the 2010 season. In April, Bryan Patterson stepped down as Fordham’s head coach after leading the program for seven years and guiding the team to an overall record of 60-74.
Anwar has previous experience with Fordham. He coached the Fordham prep team, as well as other high school programs in the New York and Connecticut area.
According to David Roach, Fordham’s Director of Athletics, “We are excited to be able to bring in someone with Sahel’s experience to lead our squash program. His background as a student-athlete and coach, along with his international squash involvement and his ability to connect to the players will greatly benefit our student-athletes. We are thrilled to add him to our staff.”
Anwar is the owner and director of Premier Performance Squash (PPS), which provides professional squash services to communities in Southern Connecticut, Westchester County, and Manhattan. He has also been a member of the US National Team coaching staff.
After a year as the interim coach of the Vassar men and women squash teams, David Ames has been elevated to head coach.
According to Director of Athletics and Physical Education Michelle Walsh, “I’m pleased to announce that we’re elevating David from his interim position to the Head Coach for Men’s & Women’s Squash here at Vassar College. David joined our program last year just prior to the start of practices and did an excellent job of leading both teams. We’re looking forward to the team continuing to improve under his tenure.”
Last season under Ames, the Vassar women went 11-6 and finished the season ranked 26th in the nation. The Vassar men went 5-15, finishing the season ranked ranked 48th in the nation.
Ames began his coaching career at Bard, where he served as head coach from the 2004-2005 season through the 2013-2014 season.
