In the past two seasons, Harlan de Brun has turned around both the men and women’s tennis programs.  Beginning his seventh season at the helm of the tennis teams, de Brun has made the Royals contenders in the powerful Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

Last season, de Brun took his women’s team to a conference runner-up spot at the championships after finishing the season 12-3.  The exciting part of the program is that de Burn revitalized the program in 1998 after EMU dropped the sport nearly twenty years ago.  The team competed for the ODAC Championship in 1999 and finished ninth.  De Brun then orchestrated his team to a second-place finish.  He placed three athletes on the all-conference squad.

After an incredible season for women’s team, de Brun took his men’s team out of the cellar and put together one of the most impressive teams in school history.  His team finished with a 9-4 record and a third-place finish at the ODAC Championships. De Brun received the ODAC Coach of the Year award for the first time this season.  He placed two athletes on the all-conference team and the same two players were doubles partners.

De Brun brings many years of experience to EMU.  He is a 1970 graduate of Springfield College where he was a four-year participant for the men’s tennis team.  De Brun later received his M. Div. from the Gordon-Cornwell Theological School in 1975.  He began coaching at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School in 1988.  During his years at Christopher Dock, de Brun led his team to four league titles and an impressive 71-20 overall record.  Prior to coaching high school tennis, De Brun spent three years as an assistant coach overseas with the Academies for African Athletes (AAA) program.

After arriving at EMU in 1995, de Brun spent his last two seasons as an assistant basketball coach for the women’s program.  He is a professor in the physical education department and also serves as tennis pro in Harrisonburg.