Michigan State men’s tennis coach Gene Orlando retires

Michigan+State+mens+tennis+coach+Gene+Orlando+observes+his+team+during+a+practice+session%2FPhoto+Credit%3A+MSU+Athletic+Communications+

Michigan State men’s tennis coach Gene Orlando observes his team during a practice session/Photo Credit: MSU Athletic Communications

Nathan Stearns, Sports Broadcast Director

EAST LANSING, Mich— MSU men’s tennis coach Gene Orlando has retired after 31 years.

The announcement comes after the Spartans finished the 2021-22 season with a 15-14 record that included a first-round Big Ten tournament victory over Purdue in seven sets. He was the longest-tenured Big Ten men’s tennis coach.

Orlando is the program’s all-time winningest coach, with 361 career wins. He led Michigan State to its first-ever NCAA tournament berth in 2013 and oversaw four doubles teams competing at the NCAA Championships, as well as four singles qualifiers.

Twenty-one players received All-Big Ten honors over his 31-year tenure. MSU also had 148 overall selections to the Academic All-Big Ten team under Orlando.

He was initially hired in 1991 after spending the previous three seasons as the head coach at Bowling Green.

Orlando was also the longest-tenured coach at MSU, just ahead of softball coach Jacquie Joseph who was hired in 1994. The Spartans are set to return five underclassmen and only two players are seniors. First-team All-Big Ten selection Jack Winkler, who anchored MSU this season, is a redshirt senior alongside Josh Mukherjee.

MSU still has assistant coach Harry Jadun on staff, he will be tasked with leading the team until Orlando’s replacement can be hired.