Penn hires Rich Bonfiglio to lead men’s tennis team
Bonfiglio comes to a Quakers program with big expectations of returning to the NCAA Tournament picture.
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A new era of Penn men’s tennis has arrived with the appointment of former University of Southern California assistant Rich Bonfiglio as head coach.
Bonfiglio is coming off a summer in which he was the national college coach for the United States Tennis Association, helping five of the nation’s top tennis prospects prepare for their transition from the collegiate level to the pros.
“Rich rose to the top of a competitive applicant pool,” said Penn athletic director Alanna Shanahan. “He is a proven winner at the highest level and is a strong recruiter, as evidenced by his numerous nationally ranked recruiting classes.”
Bonfiglio’s collegiate coaching pedigree includes stints as an assistant coach at prestigious tennis programs at Columbia, University of San Diego, Amherst, and Trinity, where he played on the team in his senior season.
Bonfiglio is acclaimed for his recruiting prowess. Before leaving for USC, he helped recruit the No. 2 class for Columbia. In his most recent season at USC, the team made its 15th straight NCAA Round of 16 appearance.
Bonfiglio replaces David Geatz, who retired in August after an 11-year tenure as head coach. Penn made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history in Geatz’s final season.
Geatz’s first job in collegiate coaching was at his alma mater, the University of New Mexico, in 1983, and he retired as Ivy League co-coach of the year in 2022.
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This past season was one for the record books for Geatz’s squad. Penn recorded a program-record 19 wins in dual match play, including an 11-0 record at home. After finishing second in the Ivy League with a 6-1 record, Penn received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Quakers were ranked No. 37 in the final ITA national ranking.
”The future is bright for our men’s tennis program coming off a historic year and returning many successful student-athletes,” Shanahan said during her search for Geatz’s successor. “I look forward to finding the next leader and mentor to continue the positive momentum for our men’s tennis program.”
A new chapter for Penn begins when the Quakers host Old Dominion at the Hecht Tennis Center on Jan. 21 at 9:30 a.m.