TCU women’s tennis coach Dave Borelli has perspective.

Not just on tennis – something he’s been around nearly his entire life. Not just on winning – something he’s done plenty of. And not just on coaching – something he’s done even more of.

But perspective on life.

That’s why, when coaches and athletics directors espouse musings on the mounting mental and physical pressures placed on today’s student-athletes, Borelli can’t help but chuckle.

“I just started laughing,” Borelli said after recalling hearing a college coach complain about the pressures on NCAA athletes. “What’s pressure? You’re treated like a demagogue, you have a training table, you have a full scholarship. You have everything you want. That’s not pressure.”

Borelli, who came to TCU in 2002 and is now in his second stint as the Lady Frogs’ coach, tries to stress that to his players every day.

“I think they shouldn’t feel pressure,” Borelli said. “If you’re on a full scholarship, tomorrow, if you win or lose, it really shouldn’t matter because you get to play again the next day. Pressure is working at a 7-Eleven and trying to get through college.”

If anyone knows perspective, it would be Borelli, who won seven national championships at USC, coaching the Lady Trojans in 1974 and again from 1976-1988.

During that span, Borelli was named NCAA National Collegiate Coach of the Year in 1981 at age 30 and became the youngest coach ever to win an NCAA championship at 32.

“It was a special moment,” said Borelli, who graduated from USC in 1974 and took the head women’s coaching position that same year. “We had some extraordinary things happen there.”

But not everything was perfect in Troy.

By 1989, Borelli was burned out. The Los Angeles lifestyle, coupled with mistakes of his own, took a toll on him, affecting his health and forcing him to walk away.

“I had a lot of personal issues,” Borelli said. “I can honestly say I lived the Hollywood life. I was dating an actress and getting involved in that whole scene and the drug culture and the partying culture. I have no qualms about it — everybody knows about it — and it wasn’t very healthy for me.”

Borelli found relief in Fresno, Calif., working as a tennis pro at Sierra Sport & Racquet Club and Copper River Country Club. There, Borelli was able to learn how to manage a club while he gave personal lessons, something that’s fine-tuned his coaching ability over the years.

“I really enjoyed that, the teaching part,” Borelli said. “I think that’s what really gave me the edge in coaching. I’m such a better coach now than I was at USC.”

Borelli would eventually go on to work for the United States Tennis Association, helping develop young players and traveling on the pro tour as a private coach.

When USC offered him his old job in 1996, Borelli wasn’t ready, he said, and turned it down.

“When I turned that down, I thought that was probably my last chance of getting back into college coaching again,” Borelli said.

But after working with the USTA for a few years, Borelli felt an urge to return to the college level, he said.

“I had the inkling to kind of get back into it,” Borelli said. “But I was on the men’s side of professional tennis. I knew all the top, young American players so I was really looking at some men’s jobs.”

But when the TCU women’s job opened up in 2002, Borelli decided to visit Fort Worth anyway. He’s been in love with it ever since.

“I wasn’t that interested in the job,” Borelli said. “I was a final-four candidate, came out on the interview and couldn’t believe I never knew anything about Fort Worth. I thought it was unbelievable.”

Borelli took the job, serving as the women’s head coach until 2006 before taking the TCU men’s job. Two summers ago, Borelli returned to his original role as women’s coach.

In his time at TCU, Borelli has compiled an 85-41 record on the women’s side and 54-45 record with the men, who have won four Mountain West titles – two in the regular season and two in conference tournaments.

And while Borelli’s record at TCU doesn’t match up with his stint at USC, he says his job now is more fulfilling.

“My perspective is so much better,” Borelli said. “I am so much more grateful to who I work for, to the kids I’m accountable to. I’ve been real lucky.”

Leaning back in his chair, gazing toward the photos and accolades adorning the walls of his office, Borelli remembered a scene from “The Natural,” where Robert Redford’s character, Roy Hobbs, reflecting on his career, realizes he never quite lived up to his potential.

“He’s talking to his girlfriend and she says, ‘I believe we live two lives: We live the life that we learn with and the one we live with after that,’” Borelli recalled. “Well, I’m in the second half now, understanding what I’ve gone through and all the scenarios and appreciating things a lot more.”