Gustavus Adolphus College

 

Steve Wilkinson

Steve Wilkinson E-mail Coach Wilkinson

Steve Wilkinson recently completed his 38th season as the head coach of the men's tennis team. The Sioux City, Iowa native has built a dynasty in St. Peter, as the Gusties have won 34 of the past 37 MIAC tennis titles (including 19 straight) and have compiled an astonishing conference dual match record of 328-1 (.997).

This past season Wilkinson guided Gustavus to a 27-10 record, a fourth place finish at the NCAA Championships and a fourth place finish at the ITA Division III Indoor Championships. The Gusties have made 14 consecutive appearances at the NCAA Championships. In 2003 Wilkinson's squad placed third at the NCAA Championships and first at the ITA Indoor Championships. That year he coached the national singles and doubles champions and was named the National Coach of the Year by the ITA.

Wilkinson's career record is an impressive 897-266 (.771). He is the winningest active coach in Division III and is the fourth coach in the history of collegiate tennis to post 800 wins. Since Wilkinson took over the Gustavus tennis program, his teams have won two NCAA Division III titles (1980 and 1982), six national championships in doubles, and four national titles in singles.

He has been named the NAIA National Coach of the Year twice (1974 and 1984) and the NCAA Division III Coach of the Year three times (1983, 2001, 2003). Wilkinson has been very involved in several national tennis organizations having served on the executive committees of the United States Professional Tennis Association, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, and the United States Tennis Association.

Wilkinson played collegiate tennis at the University of Iowa where he lettered for three seasons and finished second in #1 doubles at the Big Ten Championships his senior season. He was inducted into the Iowa Tennis Hall of Fame in 1974, the Northern Tennis Association Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Missouri Valley Hall of Fame in 1999.

Still very active playing tennis, Wilkinson has been top ranked in the United States in the 45, 50, 55 and 60 and over division. He has represented the United States in the Dubler Cup, Perry Cup and Austria Cup competition winning the world championship in Montevideo, Uraguay in 1989 and finishing second in Berlin, Germany in 1992.

In the summer, Wilkinson and his wife Barbara run the Tennis and Life Camps on the Gustavus campus.