News & Features

College Commitment
Fall Signing Week '08: Rigsby a Tiger
by Gregg Jones, 14 November 2008

For Zachary Rigsby, the road to Clemson University began on a hot summer day eight years ago.

That was the first time the five-star recruit from Simpsonville, S.C., walked onto the courts at the Hoke Sloan Tennis Center for a summer camp. He was 10 years old, and it marked the beginning of a summer tradition.

Over time, Rigsby forged strong bonds with Clemson coaches and players. They, in turn, helped shape Rigsby into one of the top players in the South.

Last July, one of those summer tennis mentors - Chuck McCuen - was named Clemson head coach after six seasons as an assistant. Rigbsy fired off an email to Coach McCuen, and an official visit in September was followed by a scholarship offer.

The senior at Southside Christian School in Simpsonville had planned to seal his verbal commitment to Clemson by signing a national letter of intent during the current fall signing period.

"I never actually thought I'd be playing at Clemson, although I always thought it would be cool to play there," said Rigsby. "The coaches are just amazing there. And the school is just a great school."