Success is becoming commonplace for Cleveland State tennis coach Brian Etzkin. A year after leading the men's team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history, Etzkin coached the team to back-to-back Horizon League Championships and its second consecutive NCAA Tournament berth.

Etzkin became the head coach at CSU in 2002-03, taking over men's and women's programs that were in dire need of rebuilding. The change came almost overnight, as the men's team won nine matches in Etzkin's first year, six more than the previous two years combined.

The women's team turned around quickly also, winning 10 matches in Etzkin's second year. Both of the teams have finished .500 or better in five of Etzkin's first seven years.

In his time thus far, Etzkin has coached a men's program that is one of the most consistent teams in the conference. The team has finished third or better in four straight years and the two conference championships were the first in program history.

Cleveland State's achievements are even more impressive considering the fact that the department did not field a varsity team from 1993-99 and the women's team had not won double-digit matches since 1983.

The winningest coach in school history, Etzkin reached impressive milestones during the 2008-09 season, passing 100 wins with the men's team and 90 wins with the women. The men's team set the school-record with 20 wins last season, finishing 20-6, including a perfect 7-0 mark in the Horizon League. It was the first time CSU went undefeated in league play.

Ryan Hamning and Phil Orno were both named to the All-Horizon League first team and CSU earned a bye in the first round of the Horizon League Tournament as the number one seed for the second consecutive year.

CSU made quick work of Youngstown State and Green Bay before winning a 4-3 match against UIC to give the Vikings a second straight NCAA appearance, where they fell at 11th-ranked Kentucky in the first round.

The women had an impressive year as well behind a mixture of experienced players and newcomers and ended the year with a 17-11 mark.

Freshman Catrine Bjerrehus was named to the All-Horizon League first team, while junior Charlotte Gibbons earned second team all-league honors for the second time in her career. The team won its first three league matches and finished with a 5-3 conference record, ending the season with a fifth place showing at the league tournament.

Etzkin's accolades have earned him the women's 2004 Horizon League Coach of the Year and the men's 2007 and 2009 Horizon League Coach of the Year. In addition, he was named the 2009 ITA Midwest Regional Men's Coach of the Year.

He has mentored six players to the all-league first team: Catrine Bjerrehus (2009), Olivier Dhaine (2006), Sarah Galon (2004, `05, `06, `07), Hamning (2008, `09), Orno (2007, `08, 09) and Eric Winn (2004).

But just as impressive has been his players' accomplishments off the court. Rob Fox was named to the Horizon League All-Academic Spring team last season. The women's team recieved ITA All-Academic honors from 2005-09, while the men's team captured All-Academic status in 2007 and 2009.

Steven Wipprecht was awarded the Horizon League Herb Foster Sportsmanship Award last season and three other players, Morgan Ungerott, Brad Groleski and Galon have also received the award.

Etzkin has also encouraged his players to become community leaders. Wipprecht was president of the Cleveland State Student-Athlete Advisory Council in the 2008-09 season, Groleski was vice president in 2007, and in 2006, Jay Tee was president, Galon was vice president and Ungerott served as the secretary.

In addition to the academic achievements, the teams also adopt a second grade class at Marion-Sterling Elementary school in downtown Cleveland, where at least three members of the team visit the children in the class twice a week to assist students with their reading, comprehension and vocabulary skills. Etzkin has overseen this volunteer experience for the last seven years.

Etzkin was born in Cleveland and raised in Wooster, but returned to Northeast Ohio after working as an assistant men's tennis coach at Michigan State. While with the Spartans, he assisted in every aspect of the program, including serving as recruiting coordinator.

He also worked as the assitant tennis professional at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility in addition to being the Tennis Director and Head Pro at Walnut Hills Country Club. Prior to working with Michigan State, Etzkin spent two years as an assistant coach for the men's and women's teams at Western Illinois University from 1998-2000.

Etzkin also coached the 2002 Midwest Junior Davis Cup team to the national championship in Columbia, S.C. He is an active United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Certified Teaching Pro.

Etzkin played college tennis for four years at Southern-Illinois University-Carbondale, earning a bachelor's degree in psychology. As a senior in 1998, he received GTE Academic All-American honors and was a two-time Missouri Valley Conference All-Academic selection.

He later returned to school, earning a master's degree in sport management from Western Illinois in 2000.