BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Just months after graduating from what was then known as Bridgewater State College in 2008, Barry Gorman had a job on campus.

Following four years of playing tennis for the Bears, Gorman was hired to be the head coach of his alma mater's men's and women's tennis teams.

Knowing that he would need an experienced assistant coach to help with the transistion process from player to coach, Gorman called on a familiar face from his tennis past.

Gorman asked Ron Santacroce, who coached him at Hopedale High School, to be his assistant for both the men's and women's squads.

"I was a pretty young coach just starting out," said Gorman, "and I was looking for someone who I thought would be a good fit for the program and work well with me. He was my first thought."

The pairing was a success as Santacroce helped Gorman learn the coaching ropes for five years before Gorman left to take a similar position at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I., in 2013.

Santacroce, however, remained at Bridgewater State University as an assistant to John Nestel from 2013-16, to Chris White during the men's season in 2016 and is now in his eighth year as an assistant to David Purpura.

It is rare for assistant coaches to be retained and work for four different coaches in the same program, but that is what Santacroce has done at Bridgewater State.

Now in his 16th year with the women's and men's tennis teams, Santacroce is a perfect fit for the Bears, whether it's working for Gorman, Nestel, White or Purpura.

"They all had the opportunity to bring in their own person, but just the way things evolved, I think it was easier for them to let me continue to stay there,'' said Santacroce. "I was like the common thread with all of these people.

"I've had a love of tennis from college (University of Maine) on. I've played a lot of tennis. I'm an average player but really devoted to it. I just love it.

"What makes me attracted to Bridgewater is that Bridgewater has an excellent culture there. The athletic department is so positive and so upbeat. I'm surrounded by very supportive people, very happy people. It's really a pleasant setting."

Gorman started playing for Santacroce at Hopedale High when he was a seventh grader and was on the team for six years.

He knew that Santacroce would be an ideal fit when Gorman began coaching in 2008.

"He's got a great personality,'' said Gorman, now in his 10th year at Roger Williams. "He's relaxed, he's funny. He's got that personality where he can talk to anyone. It makes it easy with coaching.

"It was really good. It was nice to have him to run ideas by. It was nice to tap a veteran with a strong work ethic.

"He was really that first coach that I had kind of growing up. He really helped me grow a love for the sport. I hadn't really played a ton of tennis growing up and then got on his team in the seventh grade. I took off with it. He got me excited about the sport and essentially helped me find a career."

Purpura was hired at Bridgewater State before the women's season in the fall of 2016 after being the head coach at Taunton High School.

He knew the role that Santacroce had played with the women's and men's teams and was glad to have him on the staff.

"He's been a mentor to me as a younger coach," said Purpura. "He helped me get acclimated. He's committed to the university and has done an outstanding job for us. He is reliable and devoted. He works great with the student-athletes. They love him.

"He is a professional in every sense of the word. He's a mild-mannered guy. The way he handles problems, I learned a lot from him. He's calm in almost everything he does. Ron is the steady rudder of our ship."

Purpura was hired just before the fall season of 2016, so it was Santacroce who helped organize the team during the days leading up to the preseason. He also helped get the team together before Nestel was hired in 2013.

Santacroce ran the team when the women defeated Salem State, 8-1, last Wednesday to improve to 7-2. Purpura is away for his wedding and Santacroce took over in his absence.

"I like what I do," said Santacroce of his role over 15-plus years. "I like the interaction with the players. I really enjoy practices. I enjoy the whole part of it.

"I think it's probably somewhat unusual (for an assistant to work for different head coaches). Usually a new coach in Division 1 or 2 or pro sports, they bring in their own assistant coaches.

"I really put a lot of effort into the relationships I have not just with the coaches but with the players as well. That's the fun part of it."

Santacroce, a retired guidance counselor, has been making the daily drive from his home in Milford to Bridgewater for the love of the game.

Head coaches have come and gone, but Santacroce remains the constant in the women's and men's programs.

"He's just kind of hung in there and kept going," said Gorman. "He really likes it.

He enjoys being there, enjoys the players. He stayed there and has done awesome."

Said Purpura: "In college, it's not normal to have an assistant who survives so many coaches but he has."

Santacroce didn't envision being a Bridgewater State assistant coach for the long term when he got the call from Gorman, but here he is, still going strong in year No. 16.

"I never thought I would be here this amount of time," he said. "It just worked out.

"When I was with Barry, he ran the show and I think I had a different presence," he said. "After Barry left, John came in and we hit it off very well. He was a former ATP player in Europe and was a real tennis technician. Barry was fundamentally oriented, drill oriented. Working with John was another good experience.

"Now, with Dave, he loves it. He's very committed, very dedicated and a student of the game.

He has a great rapport with the players. He's a sharp guy. He's committed to being a good coach."