The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles men’s tennis team is entering the most important part of their season, and head coach Mark Klysner said he believes everything leading up to this moment has been by design.
Klysner, a veteran coach with nearly two decades of experience at the Division I level, is in his first season leading Tennessee Tech after a successful run at Illinois State University, where he became the winningest coach in program history. Now in Cookeville, Klysner said he is focused on building wins and a foundation.
“We kind of prepare them to get to this phase of the season,” Klysner said. “From here on out, it’s kind of up to them to now actually put the results on the court and use everything they learned throughout the fall and the spring so that’s what really matters.”
That preparation has come through a challenging early-season schedule. Klysner said facing strong and ranked opponents gave the Golden Eagles a measuring stick and helped spark growth.
“After those matches, we kind of hit a groove,” Klysner said. “The matches we had earlier in the year paid off for when we played teams [later in the season.]”
Klysner, who previously led programs at Youngstown State University and developed a reputation as a program builder, said his approach centers on relationships as much as results. Klysner said he embraces the label of being a player’s coach, focusing on connection and culture within the team.
“I want guys that want to be part of a family, part of a brotherhood,” Klysner said. “They buy into what we’re trying to do as a program, as a team, and someone that wants to represent Tennessee Tech proudly.”
The Golden Eagles will begin their final stretch of the season on Friday, competing in the Porter’s Neck Invitational in Wilmington, North Carolina before concluding their regular season in the James O’Connell Memorial Tournament April 26-28 in Mason, Ohio.