June 29, 2007

Mark Riley Named Men’s Tennis Coach/Asst. Tournament Director at Kalamazoo College

Mark Riley has been named Kalamazoo College’s head men’s tennis coach and assistant director of the USTA Boys’ 18 & 16 National Championships. Mark’s head coaching duties will begin immediately. He will work closely with Timon Corwin on this year’s tournament, and become director of the 2008 tournament.

“I never thought when I was playing on the Hornet tennis team that I would one day be the coach and carry on the legacy of Allen Stowe and George Acker and, most recently, Timon Corwin,” said Riley. “The storied traditions of Kalamazoo College, both in tennis and academics, and the USTA Boy’s National Championships have been the highlights of many outstanding careers and a source of pride for the community of Kalamazoo. I am honored to take this role and help carry forward those traditions.”

Riley, a 1982 graduate of Kalamazoo College, has been head men’s tennis coach at the University of Pennsylvania the past seven seasons. He led the Quakers to Ivy League championships in 2006 and 2007 and Eastern College Athletic Conference championships in 2005 and 2006. At Pennsylvania, Riley coached eight First Team All-Ivy selections, two Ivy League Rookies of the Year and an Intercollegiate Tennis Association Northeast Rookie of the Year. In 2006, Riley was named Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Northeast Region Coach of the Year, United States Tennis Association-Middle States Tennis Association Section Coach of the Year, and Philadelphia Area Tennis District Collegiate Coach of the Year. He currently serves on the ITA Board of Directors and the ITA Operating Committee. Riley was Tournament Director for the ITA East Region Championships in 2002 and 2006.

Prior to arriving at Penn., Riley served as head coach at the University of Kansas for four seasons (1997-2000). He led the Jayhawks to a school-best #9 national ranking, was a Big 12 runner-up and a three-time NCAA Region V Tournament qualifier.

His first head coaching position was at Drake University from 1994-1996, where he led the Bulldogs to runner-up finishes in the Missouri Valley Conference and at the NCAA Region V Tournament. He gained assistant coaching experience at Pennsylvania (1992-93) and Kansas (1993-94). In addition to his collegiate coaching positions, he has worked numerous camps, including the Levy Tennis Camp at the University of Pennsylvania and the Jayhawk Tennis Camp in Kansas. He is camp director for Team Riley in Philadelphia
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Riley began his collegiate playing career at the University of Pittsburgh, but transferred to Kalamazoo College after his freshman season. He was a Division III All-American and two-time captain at Kalamazoo College, where he played tennis for two years under coach George Acker. He played two singles and one doubles, and earned Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association most valuable player honors his senior season. In NCAA Division III singles competition, Riley was ranked #16 in 1981 and #10 in 1982. He was seeded fifth in the 1981 doubles and seventh in 1982. From 1984 to 1988, Riley was a world-ranked tennis player by the Association of Tennis. In 1985 he was the American Tennis Association Doubles Champion.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Kalamazoo College in 1982. He studied abroad in Spain, and completed a senior individualized project on the feasibility of ownership, construction and operation of an indoor racquet club. He was awarded the College’s Department of Education Prize for excellence in education courses following his junior year. Riley is a member of the Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Association, the United States Professional Teacher’s Association and the Black Coaches Association.

“This is fantastic news for Kalamazoo College and the Kalamazoo tennis community,” said Timon Corwin, USTA Senior Director for Junior and Collegiate Competition and the former Kalamazoo College Head Men’s Tennis Coach. “I’m pleased that the team and the tournament will have someone with Mark’s experience and proven track record leading both programs.”

“I am excited to have Mark join our staff,” said Kristen Smith, Director of Athletics. “His experience and ability to develop championship teams will enable us to continue the tradition of excellence and success we have had with the Kalamazoo men’s tennis program. Being a Kalamazoo College graduate and a former MIAA MVP, Mark understands what it takes to achieve at a high level academically and on the court.”

The Kalamazoo College men’s tennis team has won 69 consecutive Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships (1936-2007) with a record of 426-2 in the MIAA from 1935-2007. Kalamazoo has won seven NCAA Division III national championships and has made 25 consecutive NCAA III tournament appearances.

A Fellowship in Learning: At Home in the World, Kalamazoo College is a national liberal arts college and the creator and home of the Kalamazoo Plan. By emphasizing scholarship, civic engagement, and foreign study, Kalamazoo College cultivates a fellowship in learning among students, faculty, and a community of scholars throughout the world. Its students shape elements of the Kalamazoo Plan--rigorous academics, career internships, study abroad, service-learning, and a senior individualized project--into an educational experience that provides insight into the meaning of the kind of citizenship that is at home in the world.