McNamara replaces 20-year veteran Dale Short, who retired at the conclusion of the 2007 season. McNamara has spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach at Middle Tennessee, helping the Blue Raiders to a pair of NCAA Team Championships appearances as well as assisting in the development of three All-Americans and national champions - Daniel Klemetz, Marco Born and Andreas Siljestrom.

"This is my dream job. It is a huge opportunity for me personally," McNamara said. "I've seen where the program has been and the successes Dale has been able to achieve. I look forward to continuing those successes and taking the program to another level."

McNamara talked about just how much of an influence Short has been on his life, ever since the young Australian arrived on campus in January of 1995.

"Dale has been a coach, a father figure, a best mate, a mentor and a boss and he will continue to be all of those, as he will still be a big part of this program," McNamara said "Dale, Buck Bouldin and Dick Lalance have built a program here to be very proud of and I hope to continue that tradition."

Middle Tennessee has compiled a 66-58 overall dual match record during his five seasons as an assistant, including a 49-27 mark the past three years. The Blue Raiders claimed their first Sun Belt championship in 2005 and lost in the first round of the NCAA Team Championships in 2005 and 2006.

The Melbourne, Australia, has also been a big part of the program's individual success in collegiate grand slam tournaments, relying on his experience as a national champion doubles player.

Former All-American Daniel Klemetz claimed the singles title at the 2002 ITA All-American Championships in Chattanooga, Tenn., during McNamara's first season as an assistant coach. Then this past spring Born and Siljestrom won the program's first-ever NCAA title with their triumph in the NCAA Doubles Championships.

McNamara and doubles partner Julius Robberts won the ITA All-American Hardcourt Championships in 1997 in Austin, Texas, and climbed as high as No. 2 in the nation. The pairing twice qualified for the NCAA Championships, in 1997 and 1998, reaching the second round in 1998 in Athens, Ga.

During his three-and-a-half year playing career, the Blue Raiders posted dual match records of 17-10 (1995), 24-5 (1996), 24-5 (1997) and 14-11 (1998), making three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament (1995-97), including the program's first-ever NCAA victory (5-1 over Florida International in 1997 in Gainesville, Fla.). He finished his career fourth all-time in combined wins as a Blue Raider with 179 and is fourth in singles victories (85) and doubles triumphs (94).

"David beat out a very competitive field for the position," Massaro said. "He has the advantages of being a great player here at Middle Tennessee and also a good teacher of the game. Plus he had Coach Short's unequivocal endorsement, which meant a lot to me.

"I am confident David is the best person to build upon the successes we have already achieved and to move our program to an even higher level."

McNamara finished his eligibility in 1998 and set off for the next four years on the ATP tour, traveling the world while winning 13 doubles titles. He played in the 2000 Australian Open and also won one singles title in August 2001 in Bath, England. He left Middle Tennessee just one semester short of graduation and returned in 2002, finishing his degree in Exercise Science.

He received his master's in Sport Management in May 2005 and took a teaching position in upstate New York before returning in January 2006 to Murfreesboro.

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