Alumni Update: Barry MacKay (1955-57)
3/30/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
The term "pioneer" can best be used to describe tennis great Barry MacKay when speaking about his career at the University of Michigan. MacKay, who played at U-M from 1955-57, had the distinct honor of being named the first NCAA All-American in the 115-year history of the program. He also captured a number of individual Big Ten Conference titles -- two in singles (1956-57) and three in doubles with Dick Potter (1955-57). But it was during a hot summer day in June of 1957 when MacKay left his everlasting mark on Michigan Tennis, claiming the NCAA singles title to help the Wolverines clinch their first and only national team championship.
MacKay's 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Texas Sammy Giammalva gave U-M the outright NCAA championship, as the Maize and Blue edged out Tulane by a 10-9 margin in the team standings. MacKay was crowned the NCAA singles champion, and he teamed with Potter for a runner-up finish in the doubles championship.
Michigan ended the 1957 season with a perfect 12-0 record and claimed its third straight conference title. With his win over Giammalva, MacKay became the first Big Ten player to claim the NCAA singles title.
After his collegiate career came to a close, MacKay went on to have a successful amateur and professional career. He helped lead the United States to the Davis Cup title in 1958, and he teamed with Giammalva for a runner-up finish at the U.S. Open that same year. After earning a No. 1 national ranking in 1960, MacKay enjoyed a three-year stint on the pro tour from 1961-63.
MacKay's success and knowledge of the game led him to other avenues within the tennis industry. He has been regarded as one of the most respected tournament directors and television analysts throughout the last three decades, and MacKay attributes a lot of his success to the lessons he learned during his experience in Ann Arbor.
MacKay recently took some time out of his busy schedule to reflect on those experiences he had wearing the Maize and Blue, including his memories of that magical day in Salt Lake City, the evolution of the college game, and some of the lighter moments he remembers about his college career.
On his time at Michigan and the influence it had on his professional career
"I won the NCAAs in Salt Lake City in June of 1957. I unfortunately missed my graduation at Michigan Stadium because of it, but I got my diploma eventually. Then I played amateur tennis. In those days, there were two games C there was professional tennis and there was amateur tennis C and there was no open tennis as we know it today. I played amateur tennis for the next three summers and represented the United States on our Davis Cup team. I actually played my first Davis Cup match while I was still at Michigan in the summer of 1956. The United States won the Davis Cup in 1958 in Australia, and I was ranked No. 1 in the United States in 1960, and then I turned professional. In those days, that meant you went onto the Jack Kramer Tour because that was the only professional tour. That was where we played across the country and across the world. I signed a professional contract with Kramer and played pro tennis from 1961-63. Since there really wasnt a future in professional tennis in those days, I migrated to California in 1964. I actually started working for Jack Kramer in what was then called the International Professional Tennis Tour. Ive been in California ever since. I worked with Jack through the late 60s. In 1970, I took over what was called the Pacific Coast Championships in Berkeley, here in Northern California. Our first winner was Arthur Ashe; our next winner was Rob Laver. After that, the tournament became the major tennis event in Northern California. I started my own company in 73 called BMK Sports, and that company now puts on the major event of the year. Plus, I did a lot of television commentary and that sort of thing. It all fits under one big umbrella."
On how much different today's college game is compared to the 1950s
"I would say its vastly different. When I played, the Big Ten was not that strong overall. The tough tennis schools were UCLA, USC, Stanford and some of the Florida schools, mostly because there was very little indoor, year-round tennis in the Midwest. We were lucky to even be playing in the Intramural Building. We played in there three hours a day on the fast wood. But thats all changed now. All the Big Ten schools have wonderful indoor facilities. Illinois and Ohio State, for instance -- two of the schools that we defeated rather easily -- have now become major national powers. I would say that the depth of teams now is much stronger. The guys playing at No. 5 or 6 today are much tougher players competitively than they were when I played. I dont want to downplay what we accomplished, but depth is the key word."
On what his tennis career at Michigan has meant to him
"When I won that NCAA in Salt Lake City, the coach was Bill Murphy, and my teammates were Dick Potter, Mark Jaffe, etc. At the time, it didnt seem like that huge of an accomplishment. Although, obviously for me personally to win the NCAA singles title, it was the biggest thing I had ever done up to that point. It all started to sink in when our 1957 championship-winning team started having some reunions. We had a 10-year reunion, and then a 25, and then weve virtually gotten together every five years since the 25th. Were looking forward to a big one this fall during the Michigan/Ohio State football game. I would say that looking back on playing at Michigan, winning the Big Ten three times, winning the NCAA, as Ive gotten older and looked back on my career, I would say thats become a major part of my accomplishments. Its really satisfying."
On whether he still keeps in touch with his former Wolverine teammates
"I've remained close with quite a few of them. Johnny (Harris) and I still talk, since were in the same type of business C he ran a big tournament in Washington, D.C for many years. Dale Jensen has moved up to Northern California, so he and I keep in touch. Dick Cohen, another guy who lives close, Dick Potter, my old roommate who now lives in Florida, and Mark Jaffe, hes part time in Michigan and part time in Florida. Those are some of the key guys who were a big part of our team, and we all keep in touch. Its really been a big plus."
On whether he remembers anything about his NCAA singles title match
"I sure do. It was a very hot day in Salt Lake City in the middle of June. I knew it was going to be a tough match because Sammy Giammalva was a very tough, world-class player. He had already gone to Australia with the Davis Cup team. We were playing the match at about 4,000 feet of altitude, which I liked because I relied a lot on my serve. The courts were fairly fast; they were what we called semi-fast cement plexi-paved courts at the Salt Lake Tennis Club. I remember I was up two sets to one, and then Sammy came back. We had a very tight final set in the best-of-five match. I finally broke his serve in the fifth set. I remember serving for the match, and I was a little bit nervous. There was a lot on the line. Luckily, my serve was my big plus, and I served a good game and won the title. I remember, instead of jumping over the net, I was so tired, I ran around the side of the net and shook hands."
On whether he keeps tabs on the current Michigan men's tennis program
"I follow their progress pretty closely. Bruce (Berque) has been terrific about keeping in touch with all of us by email. I try to respond as often as I can. I did have a chance to get back to the new indoor facility about three years ago and hand out some trophies at an indoor collegiate tournament. I try to stay in close touch."
On Michigan's Varsity Tennis Center
"I think its sensational. When I played at Michigan, we played our matches on four clay courts that were right next to the Intramural Building. Im sure theyre long gone by now. We just had the IM Building for three hours everyday to play indoors. Now youve got that unbelievable indoor facility and the outdoor facility as well. Its terrific. I live in Stanford and Cal territory, and I can truthfully say that the U-M facility rivals either of those universities."
On any memories he has of his experience at Michigan, outside of tennis
"I remember riding my bike from the Phi Gamma Delta house at 707 Oxford Street for my 8 a.m. economics class in that very hot building. It was 10 below zero and snowing pretty hard, and I'm riding down through the Diag to the economics building. I can remember a few mornings like that. In those days, we didnt even have full-ride scholarships. I had to work my way through school, and I waited tables at the Delta Upsilon house across the street from our fraternity. I remember a few long nights doing that, and playing touch football on the lawn of the Phi Gam house. I lived there for three years.
"When we played indoor tennis in the winter at the IM Building, we only had the courts from 12-3 p.m., so we were under the gun time-wise. Around 2:45 p.m. each day, there were about 100 guys waiting to play basketball on the six courts they had there. There would be a bunch of these guys pounding these basketballs as we were playing tennis, and you could here them saying 'Get these tennis players out of here, with their short white shorts, we want to play basketball.' The nets would come down at 3 p.m. and all the guys would storm the courts as we were finishing up."
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
