Former Minnesota men's tennis captain Gene Sperling was announced as the new director of the National Economic Council by President Barack Obama today in Landover, Md.

The 53-year-old Sperling replaces Lawrence Summers and is making a return engagement to the White House. Sperling worked for eight years at the White House as a member of President Bill Clinton's administration. The last four years under Clinton he served as the director of the National Economic Council, which is the same position he was appointed to today by Obama.

Sperling was also a consultant and writer for NBC's now defunct "The West Wing," after the Clinton administration left office.

Sperling, who earned his first letter at Minnesota in 1978 and captained the 1980 team, received the team's Louis Ratner Memorial Award in 1980 for his outstanding contribution to Golden Gopher tennis.