Michigan State men’s tennis head coach Harry Jadun has been named the 2025–26 Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading the Spartans to their first conference regular-season title since 1967, a turnaround that feels even more impressive considering where the season began with half of the roster injured.
Michigan State opened the year 1-6 before flipping the script, winning 14 of its next 16 matches and finishing 12-1 in Big Ten play. Along the way, the Spartans snapped Ohio State’s 49-match conference win streak and climbed to No. 25 in the ITA rankings.
For Jadun, the moment carries extra weight.
“Being an East Lansing native, going to East Lansing High School, and then Michigan State University… to be a coach here and be a part of this university—it means a lot,” Jadun said. “I just kind of pinch myself. It’s pretty surreal to be in that company.”
A former Spartan All-American and longtime assistant, Jadun returned to MSU to take over the program and has quickly built something that fosters talent and creates the team chemistry. This year’s roster — featuring standout players like Matthew Forbes and Ozan Baris — proved that Michigan State can compete with, and beat, the best teams in the country.
That belief didn’t come easily. After a slow start, the pressure of what the team could accomplish lingered for weeks.
“We knew it was a possibility, but we had to play a month and a half under that pressure of, like, ‘Hey, we could do this—but we’ve got to go out there and do it,’” Jadun said.
That pressure showed up even in the title-clinching match. The Spartans dropped the doubles point and found themselves in a tight battle before doing what they’ve done all season — closing strong.
“We didn’t play very well in the doubles point… singles was on a nice edge there for a little bit,” Jadun said. “And then we did what we’ve done all year long—we pulled ahead… and really just got to four points.”
Jadun credits his team’s ability to handle those moments to trust and composure more than anything else.
“I’ve kind of kept my mouth shut in those moments, and the guys have really pulled through,” he said. “I really trust them and believe in their ability to handle adversity, handle the pressure moments — and they’ve done it all year long.”
That trust goes both ways. With experienced leaders and high-level talent in the lineup, Jadun has been able to build a team-first culture — even when it meant asking top players to adjust their roles or show up for others even if their matches don't go well. Off the court, that chemistry has been just as important. The Spartans are a tight-knit group, something Jadun believes has translated directly into their performance.
Jadun becomes just the second coach in program history to earn Big Ten Coach of the Year honors, joining Gene Orlando. But for him, the award is less about individual recognition and more about what it signals for the future.
“It brings a lot of momentum and credibility to our program,” Jadun said. “These are few and far between… but it’s really cool and a lot of positive momentum for these guys and myself.”
Now, Jadun turns the page to postseason play, starting with the Big Ten Tournament in Ojai, California.
