Matt Runyan, who has been the head tennis professional at Bloomington’s Evergreen Racquet Club since 1996, was named Illinois Wesleyan’s director of tennis prior to the 2017-18 academic year.
Runyan, a U.S. Professional Tennis Association teaching pro, will coordinate recruiting, scheduling and practices and will oversee both the men’s and women’s programs.
“I’m very excited about the new coaching structure for our tennis program,” said IWU athletic director Mike Wagner. “Matt possesses a great deal of tennis experience and knowledge, but I was even more impressed with the passion he exhibited during the interview process. Not only does he love the game of tennis, but also loves teaching and developing young men and women into future leaders. He is committed to making IWU the premier landing spot for talented student-athletes who want to compete for CCIW tennis championships year in and year out.”
“The new coaching team we’ve assembled at IWU is looking forward to building a tennis program that represents the excellence of Illinois Wesleyan athletics,” said Runyan, who played collegiately at Division I Indiana State and was the Sycamores’ team captain as a senior in 1994.
Runyan is also the head tennis pro at Bloomington Country Club and was the head girls tennis coach at Danville (Ill.) High School in 1995 while serving as the head tennis professional at Danville Country Club.
