Lauren Longbotham
	Position: Head Coach

Lauren Longbotham begins her fourth season with the SMU women's tennis program, but her first season as head coach. In 2005-06, she helped guide the Mustangs to the Conference USA championship finals and a top 40 team ranking. Last season the Mustangs posted a 19-6 overall record for the season and saw four players named to the All-Conference team.

During her first three seasons on the Hilltop, Longbotham was responsible for organizing team practices, player development, scheduling, recruiting and team building. Her efforts are helping SMU become recognized as a top national program.

In her inaugural season with the Mustangs, Longbotham helped led the team to its best overall season since 1988. The team earned its first NCAA Tournament bid since 1996 and advanced to the round of 32 for the first time since 1988. In 2003-04, the squad also achieved its highest ranking since 1989, finishing the season at No. 43 in the nation. The team played in the championship match at the WAC Championships and ended the season with an overall record of 18-11.

The 2004-05 Mustangs squad finished the season with a 16-10 record and made the semifinals of the WAC Championships, falling to three-time defending Champion, Fresno State. Last season the Mustangs rode a 12 match win streak at the end of the season marking the longest winning streak as far back at the 2000-01 season and made a challenging run in conference play in their inaugural season of Conference USA.

She has coached nine all-conference players and three players who have been nationally ranked. In her various coaching avenues, she has posted an overall record of 53-27. Three different seasons, her teams have seen top 50 rankings including the highest ranking of No. 33.

Longbotham has also served as a USPTA certified teaching professional at Brookhaven Tennis Academy in Dallas where she worked with nationally ranked junior players and junior traveling teams during the summer.

Before arriving to Dallas and SMU, Longbotham spent the fall of 2003 as a volunteer assistant coach for her alma mater, Louisiana Tech in Ruston, La. She lettered four years as a member of the Lady Techster tennis team from 1999-2003. Serving as team captain for two years, Longbotham was a mainstay in the middle of Louisiana Tech's line-up, both in singles and doubles play, and was named the team's Singles Player of the Year in 2000, recording the best singles record on the team.

A Dean's List member at Louisiana Tech, Longbotham was named to the conference All-Academic Team each of her five years in Ruston, La. She also served as secretary of the Student Athletic Advisory Board from 2000-2003 and was a member of the academic honor society Gamma Beta Phi.

While at Louisiana Tech, Longbotham served as a student representative on the President's Student Advancement Team from 2000-2003 where she organized and hosted social events for the Louisiana Tech Alumni Association. Longbotham spent four summers serving as a head women's counselor at Texas A&M's summer camps and has also attended the Texas Coaches Association annual coaching school held at the John Newcomb Tennis Ranch every year since 2000.

A native of Groesbeck, Texas, Longbotham was a three-time state doubles champion from 1997 to 1999 and was named Groesbeck High Athlete of the Year in 1999.

Longbotham received her bachelor of science degree in education from Louisiana Tech in 2003 and is currently working on her masters of education degree at SMU. She is engaged to Mr. Tod Meisner, Assistant Director of Media Relations for Conference USA and plans to marry this summer.