FOR IMMEDAIATE RELEASE
WORCESTER, Mass. – Assumption Interim Director of Athletics Peter Gardula is pleased to announce the hiring of Brent Gruno as the head coach of the Assumption men's tennis program.
"I'm excited to welcome Brent to the Assumption College community as our new men's tennis head coach," said Gardula. "Brent has an impressive tennis background and has spent time around some of the best coaches and players in the sport. He is dedicated to developing our men on the court, as well as in the community and in the classroom."
Gruno has spent over 20 years as a tennis professional in the Midwest and the Northeast. He has coached numerous collegiate tennis players, including many which have competed in Division I, throughout his tenure at various clubs. Two of his former pupils have gone on to Division I head coaching positions, at Southern Illinois and Seattle University respectively. While coaching he also played competitively, winning two Missouri State Championships, as well as being a USTA singles Sectional Champion, a 9.0 World Team Tennis National Champion and nationally ranked in the top-20 in Men's 35 singles.
"I am very excited about this opportunity to be the men's tennis head coach at Assumption College," said Gruno. "I look forward to developing strong, positive student-athletes as well as share my experiences and training over the last 20 years in the tennis profession. I would like to thank Interim Director of Athletics Peter Gardula, Assistant Athletic Director of Communications Ben Stockwell, and the rest of the search committee for giving me this amazing opportunity. I will do my best to help this team succeed and accomplish their goals, both on and off the court."
Currently, Gruno serves as the Junior Tennis Director at Wayside Athletic Club in Marlborough, Mass. where he trains and oversees the junior tennis program, which trains and develops players from 6 to 18. He also recently became certified as a USTA Net Generation Coach. He came to Wayside from Westboro Tennis & Swim Club, where he served as the senior professional. In that role he developed all aspects of juniors and adults, coaching numerous New England ranked juniors. In addition, he was in charge of the varsity program for all high school players. Prior to Westboro he spent three years at Mount Auburn Club in Watertown as a tennis professional, where he assisted in the junior program, as well as managing and coaching the adult men's and women's USTA and CMASS.
Gruno came to the New England from Illinois where he spent over ten years working at two different clubs as a tennis pro. He taught private lessons from beginners to nationally ranked juniors, who went on to earn Division I scholarships. He also coordinated various tournaments for multiple age groups, as well as managing a pro shop.
Gruno played his collegiate tennis at Central Missouri State and Jefferson College, where he concluded his career as an All-American and finished in the top-20 nationally. He and his wife currently reside in Worcester.
- Information for this release provided by the athletic communications staff at Assumption
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.