MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Following 13 seasons of unprecedented success at the helm of the Wesleyan University men's and women's tennis programs, head coach Mike Fried departs Wesleyan as one of the most decorated head coaches in department history, leaving both programs within the national spotlight.

Mike Fried returns to his alma mater, Brown University, as the head coach of the men's tennis team for the 2025-26 season.

To continually defend a habitual level of success, one must build from the ground up, laying a sturdy, philosophic foundation to return to when the final point closes a season. While success does not come overnight, the last decade of Fried's career at Wesleyan certainly has the feel of overnight sensation.

Coaching both the men and women's tennis programs during his time with the Cardinals, Fried led the Cardinals to national recognition, bolstering multiple Top 10 recruiting classes to brand new heights. As one of two coaches to be named ITA Coach of the Year for both men's (2017) and women's tennis (2019), Fried's tenacious style earned him four NESCAC Coach of the Year honors (men '13, women '19, '22, '23), and two ITA Northeast Region Coach of the Year accolades (women '19, '22). Since 2012, Fried has coached a combined 78 All-NESCAC selections and 61 All-American honorees.

Running a 179-51 all-time campaign with the women's tennis team, Fried's distinction as the winningest coach in program history comes with more post-season accolades. In 10 all-time NCAA Tournament appearances, the 2025 season was the program's ninth in a row under Fried's direction. With a standing 20-9 record on the national stage, the Cardinals were crowned National Champions in 2019 and have since earned National Runner-Ups status in 2021 and 2024 in three trips to the national finals.

Marking five individual national titles for the women's program, Fried's guidance since 2012 placed five women in contention for a crown. Four-time National Champion Eudice Chong '18 was just the first of Fried's recruits to reach the singles finals, winning four straight titles from 2015-2018, the first player to do so across Division I, Division II, and Division III. Chong, the 2017 Honda DIII Woman Athlete of the Year, would go on to win the NCAA Doubles title with teammate Victoria Yu in 2017 as well. Facing Chong in the 2017 finals, Yu was the second to reach the title match of the singles tournament under Fried before Venia Yeung ('21), and most recently Jackie Soloveychik '27 ('25).

Within the NESCAC, the women's programs have dominated conference rivals with five-consecutive NESCAC Championship titles in 11 overall appearances since Fried's takeover. While cooking up six-consecutive Little Three titles during the program's conference tear, Fried has coached three NESCAC Player of the Year honorees in Chong ('15, '17, '18), Nika Vesley ('23), Caitlyn Ferrante '24 ('24) and two NESAC Rookie of the Year selections in Chong ('15) and Soloveychik ('24).

Coach Fried's tenure with the Cardinals led both programs to several firsts. In 2015 the women's program reached the NESCAC tournament for the first time since 2008 and were led the following year to the NCAA Sweet 16. In 2018, the No. 5 ranked Cardinals advanced to the Elite 8 for the first time before finishing the 2019 season as National Champions and the top ranked team in Division III.

Rounding a 109-87 all-time coaching record with the men's tennis program, Fried has led the men to nine NESCAC Tournament appearances and four 10-win seasons. Following the 2014 season, the men's team earned their first ever national ranking, placed at No. 32. Fried's leadership earned him NESCAC Co-Coach of the Year honors. Two years later the men would rank Top 10, reaching the NESCAC semifinal round for the first time.

The 2016-2017 season for the men was another for the books as the team reached the NCAA Tournament. Ranked fifth, the Cardinals earned 15 wins and took home their first NESCAC regular-season title en route to the NCAA quarterfinals. Fried was named the ITA Coach of the Year.

Building off the success of their trip to the quarterfinals, the men followed with a record season in 2019. Breaking 16 wins, the Cardinals reached the NCAA quarterfinals again while earning a spot at No. 6 amongst their peers. Noah Lilienthal '22 and Adrian Roji '21 became the first doubles pair for the men's team to reach the NCAA Individual Tournament finals. Lilienthal was named the NESCAC Rookie of the Year and ITA Rookie of the Year.

A continued journey of excellence, the set standard of Wesleyan tennis remains as Coach Fried's lasting mark on Vine Street.