Ball State Director of Athletics\u00A0Jeff Mitchell\u00A0announced the hiring of former Ball State men's tennis standout and hall of famer,\u00A0Gene Orlando, as the next head coach of the Cardinals. Orlando takes over the reins from former head coach\u00A0Bill Richards\u00A0who recently announced his retirement after 53 years at the helm of the men's tennis program.\u00A0
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\r\n\"I am delighted to name\u00A0Gene Orlando\u00A0as our new men's tennis head coach,\" said Mitchell. \"Coach Orlando's extensive coaching experience, his love for Ball State and his proven ability to develop student-athletes give me great confidence that he will continue the culture of excellence within our program.\"
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\r\nOrlando has spent the last three seasons as Richards' assistant coach. Prior to returning to his alma mater, Orlando was the head coach at Michigan State for 31 seasons before retiring after the 2022 campaign. The winningest men's tennis coach in MSU history, with 361 victories, he was also the longest-tenured men's tennis coach in the Big Ten Conference.\u00A0
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\r\n\"I am honored and thrilled to continue on Coach Richards legacy as the new men's tennis coach,\" Orlando said. \"Returning to my alma mater and to lead our Cardinals' tennis program fills me with immense passion and sincere gratitude. This opportunity unites all our alumni, our families and our fans in Coach Richards' legacy. I offer sincere thanks to athletic director\u00A0Jeff Mitchell\u00A0and senior associate athletic director Emma Kumar for their support and commitment to our tennis program and Cardinal Athletics.At Michigan State, Orlando led the Spartans to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013 and had four doubles teams and four singles compete at the NCAA Championships. His student-athletes earned All-Big Ten honors 21 times. In 2015, he mentored the first All-American doubles tandem in Michigan State history as Harry Jadun and John Patrick Mullane advanced to the national semifinals. He also helped the Spartans win a single-season record 18 matches in 2011 and 2012.
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\r\nA 1987 graduate of Ball State, Orlando lettered in tennis from 1983 to 1987 and helped the Cardinals claim four straight Mid-American Conference championships and post a four-year MAC league mark of 29-0.
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\r\nOrlando won the 1987 MAC No. 3 singles title after winning the league's No. 2 doubles and No. 4 singles crowns in 1986. He helped Ball State earn an 83-14 record over his career and served as a graduate assistant coach in 1987-88. As a graduate assistant, he helped the Cardinals earn another MAC crown.
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\r\n\"I couldn't be more pleased that Gene will be taking over for me as the next head coach at Ball State,\" Richards said. \"He is a big part of our history and tradition as a great player and graduate assistant coach. He is a tremendous coach and person as well as a leader and motivator. He brings a world of experience after coaching at the Power-4 level for many years. He has also been very engaged with our alumni through the years and with our recent teams while his son Vince was an outstanding member of our team. All these factors make him the perfect hire. I want to thank\u00A0Jeff Mitchell\u00A0and Emma Kumar for making this transition happen. I'm excited about the future of the program.\"
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\r\nVince Orlando\u00A0also was a four-year letterwinner for the Cardinals and was an assistant coach at Michigan State following his graduation from Ball State in 2024. He was recently hired as an assistant coach for Ole Miss.\u00A0
38 – Mid-American Conference Regular Season and/or Tournament Championships
\r\n8 – NCAA Appearances
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\r\nCareer
\r\nFirst coach in school history to receive the President's Medal \u00A0of Distinction when he received\u00A0it at the 2012 Ball State commencement.
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\r\nWinningest men's tennis coach in Ball State and Mid-American \u00A0Conference history, reaching two\u00A0milestones in 2012\u00A0 with 600 overall wins and 200 MAC victories.\u00A0
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\r\n- 758-471\u00A0(.616)\u00A0overall record
\r\n- 239-82\u00A0(.744)\u00A0conference record
\r\n- Won 700th career victory against Wright State on Feb. 1, 2020
\r\n- Has coached 17 undefeated regular seasons
\r\n- Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Meritorious Service Award
\r\n-\u00A021 Mid-American Conference Championships
\r\n- Inducted into Sturgis High School Hall of Fame (2014)
\r\n- 2014-15 NCAA Bob Frederick Sportsmanship Award
\r\n- 2005-06 Players Matt Baccarani, along with teammate Patrick\u00A0Thompson, were ranked nationally as high as fourth nationals in\u00A0doubles.
\r\n- Coached John Amos to first round singles victory at the 1994 NCAA Championships.
\r\n- Tutored former players Dan Kronauge and Paul Kruse to the\u00A01991 Volvo Collegiate Fall Championship, which ultimately earned\u00A0them the distinction of the No. 1 doubles team in the country and held that honor a good portion of the season.
\r\n- Has consistently coached Ball State teams and or players to ITA\u00A0national polls, highlighted by a top 20 team ranking\u00A0in\u00A01990, and No. 1 doubles ranking and top 40 in 1992.
\r\n- Involved in U.S. National Team.\u00A0 Accompanied top American junior players to Wimbledon, the\u00A0French Open and U.S. Open.
\r\n- Has conducted numerous clinics including the Midwest Open
\r\n- Elected as one of six Division I men's coaches to the ITA Board\u00A0of Directors in 2008.
\r\n- Inducted to Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993
\r\n- Awarded the Benny Award from the University in 2006, which is the top honor\u00A0 for his service to Ball State.
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\r\nWinningest men's tennis coach in school and MAC history
\r\n- \u00A0First MAC crown – 1984
\r\n- \u00A0MAC Coach of the Year 15 times
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\r\nPersonal
\r\n- \u00A0A native of Sturgis, Michigan, Richards earned a bachelor of \u00A0\u00A0science degree from Western Michigan in 1970 and a master's\u00A0degree in health and physical education from Bowling Green in\u00A01971.\u00A0At Western Michigan, he was a three-year letterwinner in tennis and a MAC Champion in both singles and doubles.\u00A0After serving\u00A0as a graduate assistant at Bowling Green, Richards served as the\u00A0head tennis coach at Portage Central High School for one year prior to his appointment at Ball State.
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\r\n-\u00A0 Richards and his wife, Sue, have two children, Rob, (wife\u00A0Wendy),\u00A0and Kristi, one grandaughter Leah and one\u00A0grandson, Ryan.\u00A0
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