Once a rarity at any athletic level, mid-season coaching changes have become commonplace in the modern age of sports. The ISU tennis team is the latest squad to see such a change.

Because assistant coach Chris Williams chose to take an assistant coaching job at Air Force in December, coach Armando Espinosa was forced to hire a replacement.

“The whole team was pretty close to Chris so it was sad for him to leave, but it was also a great opportunity for him,” said senior tennis player Erin Karonis.

Espinosa decided to hire Rodrigo Puebla, who at the time, was the coach at North Florida University.

“It was a tough decision for me to leave my girls but I think by coming up here the situation was going to be a better opportunity for me,” Puebla said.

Last season at North Florida, Puebla led the Ospreys to a 20-2 overall record and 9-1 record in Atlantic Sun conference play which earned them a top-60 ranking and a trip to the 2010 NCAA Championships. The coach at North Florida for three years, Puebla was named Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year in 2010.

Puebla made a trip to Ames to meet with Espinosa during the weekend of Nov. 19 to 21 and quickly decided that a move from North Florida would be best for his coaching career.

“Leaving a head coaching position and coming in as an assistant is a tough situation, but as a Big 12 tennis program and with what Armando is doing with the program here, it seems like the next years we’ll be moving up,” Puebla said.

When Puebla arrived in Ames, it wasn’t the first time that the Cyclones had seen the former North Florida coach. Last January the Cyclones traveled down to Jacksonville, Fla., where they were swept 7-0 by the Ospreys.

“I knew he was a really good coach from that [match] so I was really excited when he came,” Karonis said. “He makes us work hard, he pushes us, I really like him as a coach.”

Aside from his coaching experience, Espinosa was intrigued to hire Puebla because of his numerous connections on the recruiting trail.

“If he can bring somebody in that’s very good to North Florida, then he can bring someone in here that can make a difference,” Espinosa said.

The Cyclones’ recruiting efforts have recently amped up as Espinosa signed the first four-star recruit in program history for 2011-2012 in Tacoma, Wash., native Meghan Cassens.

“I think the best thing that I can do is helping recruit,” Puebla said. “We have my connections and [Espinosa’s] connections, he’s done a good job so far but hopefully I can help him do even more.”

In his first month with the team Puebla has “upped the ante” when it comes to the work ethic and conditioning of the team, Karonis said.

A mid-season coaching change can be a difficult transition for some programs but Puebla’s fresh mindset has the team excited for their slate of matches this spring, Espinosa said.

“I think that it’s one of those things that the minute you have a fresh pair of eyes it brings different things to the table so for us, change has been good,” Espinosa said.

The Cyclones (1-3) will be back in action at 4 p.m. Feb. 11 at Marquette.