MSU Men's Tennis Head Coach Gene Orlando has announced his retirement. Orlando has worked as Head Coach since 1992, and has a total of 361 total wins.
"I want to thank Gene for his commitment and dedication to the Spartan family for more than 30 years," Michigan State Vice President and Director of Athletics Alan Haller said in a release. "He has made a positive impact on the lives of Spartan student-athletes for decades, both on and off the court, who have gone on to make a difference in our society. Gene is one of the most genuine people you'll ever meet – he truly cares about his players and their well-being – and created a culture of excellence in the classroom, winning the Athletic Director's Award (highest team GPA) a record number of times in the department. He represented Michigan State with class and dignity as a coach and in the community. We wish Gene and his family all the best in his retirement."
Orlando is recognized for getting the team to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history in 2013, and receiving the Brad Parks award from the United States Tennis Association (USTA) in 2017.
Orlando prioritized grades over the game. His team has been recognized by the Spartan community with the Athletic Directors award this past spring, and the 3 years prior for the highest GPA in MSU Athletics. During the 2020 season, Spartans Mens Tennis set a program high score of an average 3.812 GPA.
"I would like to thank the late George Perles for the opportunity 31 years ago to be the men's head tennis coach at Michigan State," Orlando said in the release. "It has been an incredible run and one that I will cherish the rest of my life. I would like to thank all my former players, assistant coaches, alumni and our extended Spartan Family for their support and friendship over the years. Most importantly, thank you to my incredible wife Janice and my family for the incredible sacrifices they made on a daily basis to make this all possible. You were truly my inspiration and my motivation was to make you all proud."
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