BROWN UNIVERSITY
Jay Harris - Dan Brown's coach
At Brown University we created "The World of Bruno". "Bruno" is a word we invented to describe the expectation of power, wisdom, selflessness and a concept that describes love and support for group / family members. It was a "mantra" that recurred a lot during training and games.
In October 2004, as head coach, I traveled with the team to Itaka, New York, for the biggest competition that fall. It was a competition to which all the best players on the East Coast were invited. During the first day of a week-long competition, my team prepared for the first few games and something caught our eye.
This special "something" was a positive spirit we saw in one of the players from the Binghamton team. Maybe the impression we got from him was influenced by the fact that he competed against one of the Ivy League players, but whatever, we could not resist and started cheering him on as he outdid himself and defeated his opponent. This special actor was of course Dan Hanegbi.
Later that school year, Dan approached us at Brown University and expressed his desire to explore the possibility of joining Bruno's World. It did happen a year later, and we could not have wished it good luck!
In the fall of 2005, Dan Hanegbi joined the Brown University Tennis Team and to this day I'm not sure where the better connection lies - between Dan and the team's 'Bruno Spirit', or Dan's 'Bruno Spirit'. This was an exceptional "marriage."
Dan brought an extraordinary presence to every training day and an extraordinary degree of strength and competitiveness to every game. But more than that, he brought leadership to a very young team (it had 4 players in their first year out of ten!). I will never forget our trip to a game in North Carolina where we competed against the best teams in the state. During the trip, some of the new players were a bit "soft-spoken" in what was called "Van War". Dan took matters into his own hands. He built a little "bomb", Make sure in front of his young teammates that they know what the true meaning of concessions and fighting spirit is in order to achieve success.
Brown University won Dan Hanegbi as part of its campus during those two years, and both colleges, both Brown and Binghamton, won a true ambassador. Of course the two tennis industry programs of the two universities were very fortunate that Dan was a part of their programs.
I loved Dan true love and I also loved the way he ended his college tennis career. It was so significant that he won to be selected and play in the NCAA tournament (honor to him few winners and the best in the whole country!).
Dan was willing to give up the tournament as one of the games planned for him was about to collide with his graduation day and he did not want his parents to miss the opportunity to see him graduate, especially as they were about to cross half a world for that purpose. I had to pick up the phone to Dan's parents. I explained to them the honor Dan had in participating in the NCAA Tournament and promised them that I would personally make sure to fly him back to Brown in time for the ceremony. Dan's parents of course agreed and were very excited about Dan's participation in the important tournament. And discuss the lace and how.
One of his opponents in the doubles match was no less than 15 inches taller than him. 15 inches!
This opponent was none other than John Eisner and not only that, but Dan and his partner Saurab Coley, were about to face Eisner and his partner on their home field at the Bulldog Stadium in Georgia. In the typical "Dan Hanegbi" way, Dan did not flinch or even feel scared for a moment. He did not lack even a minute of self-confidence. But Eisner was really very tall and really very good. Unfortunately, Dan and Surahab lost the game but in all honesty - I could not be more proud of the way they fought and how they represented me, Bruno's tennis program and the university.
Like any person Dan has touched, in any way, I miss him very much and will always be saddened by his loss. But at the same time I feel lucky that he touched my life and changed them and me forever. I live every day under the influence of Dan Hanegbi and in all honesty, I hope he is as proud of me as I have always been.
Jay Harris
Here at Brown University, we created the “world of Bruno”. Bruno was a word we used to describe an expectation of toughness, of intelligence, of unselfishness, and of love and support for all team / family members, and it was a mantra that would be often used in spurring our team on in practices and in matches.
In October of 2004, I (head coach Jay Harris) traveled with my tennis team to Ithaca, NY to compete in our biggest tournament of the fall; it was a tournament where the best college tennis players in all of the east coast were invited. During the first day of the week-long event our group was preparing for our first matches, and something caught our eye. That “something” was an incredible spirit that was being displayed by a sophomore from Binghamton University. Now, it may have helped that this player was playing against one of our Ivy League rivals, but nonetheless, our team could not help but watch and root for this player as he rose up and defeated the Ivy foe. This player of course was Dan Hanegby.
Later that school year, Dan had reached out to us at Brown with a desire to possibly join the “world of Bruno”, and that he did the following year! We could not have been luckier.
In the fall of 2005, Dan Hanegby joined the Brown University tennis team, and to this day, I am not sure what was a better connection - Dan to the Bruno spirit, or the Bruno spirit to Dan. It was truly an incredible marriage. Dan brought this incredible presence to every day of practice, and an incredible degree of toughness and competitiveness to every match. But more than that, he brought leadership to a very young team (we had 4 freshmen on a squad of 10 players!). I'll never forget a trip to North Carolina where our team was competing against some of the top teams in the country. During the trip, our younger players were being slightly "soft" during what we called a "van war". Dan took the matter into his own hands, built a bit of a “bomb”, and made sure he showed his younger teammates what true competitive spirit meant and what sacrifices might have to be made to achieve ultimate success.
Brown University was extremely lucky to have Dan Hanegby on its campus for those two years, and both Brown and Binghamton are lucky to have Dan as a true ambassador to their Universities. And of course, the tennis programs at both schools are lucky to have had someone like Dan in their programs.
I truly love Dan, and I also love the way his college career ended. The Brown University degree meant the world to Dan. It meant so much that when he was selected to compete in the NCAA Tennis Tournament (an honor given to only the very top players in all of the nation!), He was ready to pass on the opportunity because a tournament match he could potentially play in could be held on the same day as graduation. Dan did not want to cause his parents to miss seeing him graduate as they of course were traveling halfway across the world to see him walk! I actually had to make a call to mom and dad, just to explain to them the honor of competing in the NCAA Tournament, but also to assure them that I would fly Dan back to campus to walk during graduation as soon as I possibly could. They of course agreed and were extremely excited for Dan to compete, and compete he did. The only issue in competing was that one of his first round opponents (he was competing in the doubles event) was about 15 inches taller than him - yes 15 inches! That opponent was actually none other than John Isner, and not only that, Dan and his partner (Saurabh Kohli) were going to be playing against John and his partner on their home court in the Georgia Bulldog stadium! Well, in true Hanegby fashion, Dan did not back down, did not feel an ounce of intimidation, and did not lack confidence for a minute. But, that guy was really tall, AND really good! Unfortunately, Dan and Saurabh lost that match, but I honestly could not have been prouder about how they competed and how they represented me, our Bruno tennis program, and Brown University.
As anyone who had Dan touch them in any way, I miss Dan greatly and will always be deeply saddened by his loss. But at the same time, I feel incredibly lucky to have had that touch in my life, as I am ever changed by it. I live each day having been influenced so greatly by Dan Hanegby, and honestly, I hope that he is as proud of me as I always was of him.
