COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Director of Athletics Desireé Reed-Francois announced a change in leadership for the tennis program on Thursday.

Chris Wootton will no longer serve as head coach. Bianca Turati (tuh-rah-tee) will serve as the program's interim head coach for the remainder of the 2023 season. Turati, a former two-time All-American collegiate player at Texas who played professionally for three years, joined Mizzou in January as an assistant coach.

"In a short time in Columbia, I have learned about how special Mizzou is, and I welcome the opportunity to provide consistency and leadership for our team during the rest of the season," Turati said. "We have an impressive group of student-athletes in the program. I look forward to continuing to coach them and share my experiences as both a college and professional player to help our team achieve its goals."

The Tigers return to the court on Friday, Feb. 24, facing Kansas at 4 p.m. CT in Lawrence.