LOS ANGELES - Having recently completed his 40th year at the helm of the LMU women's tennis program that he built, Jamie Sanchez will transition out of the coaching role and into an administrative role within the Athletics Department in 2015-16, LMU Athletics Director Dr. William Husak announced on Thursday.

"Jamie's professional involvement, dedicated service to the institution and his care for the student-athletes is astounding," Husak stated. "I am excited to have Jamie join our administrative staff and continue his service in a different capacity. He brings great experience and knowledge of LMU and Athletics, and he will help move the Lions program forward."

Including his time as a student-athlete, Sanchez has been at LMU for 46 years, beginning in 1969 when he entered as a freshman. During his collegiate years he earned eight varsity letters, including four apiece in football and men's tennis. The only head coach that the LMU women's tennis program has ever had, he also spent 21 years in a dual capacity serving as the men's coach.

Always willing and able to take on more responsibility, Sanchez has also served stints as an assistant coach for football and soccer, as a head athletic trainer and equipment manager, a director of intramurals, an athletics facility manager and as an assistant to the Athletics Director at LMU.

"In taking this step into a new role, I want to thank all of the athletes that I had the privilege of coaching over the years," said Sanchez. "I have treasured every moment spent in competition on the courts. In entering this new stage of involvement with LMU and the Athletics Department, I am looking forward to helping all of our programs achieve success."

Among Sanchez's many accomplishments over his years at LMU, he guided the 2002 women's tennis team to its first West Coast Conference Championship with a 4-2 win over Pepperdine. With the win, the Lions advanced to the NCAA playoffs as a team for the first time in program history. A three-time WCC Coach of the Year, he guided his teams to a top-four finish in the WCC in each of his first 31 years.

In November of 2004, Sanchez was honored with the US Tennis Association/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Campus Recreation Award as the sectional winner for all of Southern California. The award honors an ITA coach who has done an outstanding job implementing recreational tennis programs on campus in an effort to grow tennis participation.

Other highlights from his coaching career include leading his 1978 squad to a No. 20 national ranking at the AIAW Division II level (one of three straight undefeated conference title teams), and the 1982 squad finishing 12th in the nation in NCAA Division II, its only year at that level. The Lions then received a preseason ranking of third in the nation in 1983 before moving to the Division I level. Having coached four LMU Hall of Famers on the women's side, including two-time LMU Scholar Athlete of the Year Kris Anderson, Sanchez also saw four of his student-athletes earn LMU Athlete of the Year honors (Pavla Mesterova, Penka Fileva, Edit Pakay, Julie Oshiro).

Sanchez graduated from LMU in 1975 with a bachelor's degree in English and later went on to complete his masters in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University in May of 2013. In February of 1993, he was inducted into the Loyola Marymount Athletics Hall of Fame and became a two-time inductee in 2003 when he was inducted again with the 1969 Club National Championship football team. He was also the NCAA Division I Chair of the West Region and serves on the NCAA Tennis Committee. He has been a member of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) since 1968, and a member of the United States Professional Tennis Registry (USPTR) since 1987.