Head Coach Brian Kalbas

Head Coach Brian Kalbas, the 2003 Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year, just completed his 11th season at W&M where he has posted an excellent career mark of 214-85. Under Kalbas' tutelage, Tribe individuals have been represented in the NCAA Championships in 10 of his 11 seaspns, highlighted with All-America performances by Lauren Nikolaus in singles in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and in doubles by Nikolaus and Michelle O in 1998, Nikolaus and Johanna Sones in 1997, Katrin Guenther and Nikolaus in 1995 and Karen van der Merwe and Guenther in 1993.

During Kalbas' 11-year tenure, the Tribe has also produced the top-ranked doubles tandem in the East Region seven times, including 2002 when Jessyca Arthur and Candice Fuchs were ranked No. 1 in the region. Kalbas was named the 1998 ITA National Coach of the Year and he was also honored with the CAA Coach of the Year award for the 1995, 1996, 1999, 2002 and 2003 campaigns. He received the Regional Coach of the Year award for the 1995, 1998, 1999 and 2002 seasons. In 1998, he coached Nikolaus to the ITA National Senior Player of the Year award and the Gladys Heldman Award.

Not only a superb developer of tennis playing ability, Kalbas has a reputation for developing exceptional tennis coaches as well. Two of his assistants, Brian Fleishman and Tyler Thomson, each earned ITA East Region Assistant Coach of the Year honors at W&M and have gone on to become head coaches at top college programs. Fleishman is currently at Wake Forest and was named ITA National Coach of the Year in 2002, while Thomson just completed his second season at Minnesota, where he was named the Big-10 Co-Coach of the Year in 2003. A pair of recent W&M players, Tari Ann Toro and Michelle O are currently assistant coaches at Miami (FL) and Loyola Marymount, respectively.

Prior to his arrival at W&M, Kalbas spent three years as the assistant men's tennis coach at the University of Notre Dame. He helped the Fighting Irish, which had never before been ranked, climb into the nation's top-20 . The Irish were finalists at the 1992 NCAA Championships and finished with an ITCA ranking of No. 3.

Kalbas has personally coached Dave Dilucia, an All-America selection and a current pro player. He has also managed and directed summer tennis camps for the last five years, including the Nike Tennis Camp at William and Mary.

A four-year varsity player at Notre Dame, where he earned a bachelor's degree in marketing, Kalbas played No. 1 or No. 2 most of his career. He served as captain his senior year and received the Most Valuable Player and the Sportsmanship awards. Kalbas continued his play on the professional circuit, recording wins over several top players including Todd Martin, a semifinalist at the 2000 US Open, and Royce Deppe, an All-American from Texas. Kalbas resides in Williamsburg with wife Suzanne, daughter Sarah and three-year-old son, Joseph.



Kalbas' Coaching Philosophy
"I've always been one who works extremely hard while never being satisfied with mediocrity. Whatever I'm doing (if it's playing or coaching), I'm putting forth 100% physically and mentally. This attitude has convinced me that a quality work ethic really pays off in the end.

"What I look for in a potential student-athlete is an individual who is hard-working, competitive, goal- and team-oriented and one who will accept challenges and grow from the experiences. I don't look for a particular style of player and I don't coach everyone the same. I look for the competitor who has the skills to grow and develop into a complete tennis player. The coaching staff at William and Mary is extremely active in organizing and preparing the student-athletes for competition. We structure a diverse conditioning program and implement a weight workout. Foremost, the opportunity to develop playing skills on a one-on-one basis is always available."