Entering his 16th season as the head coach of the Virginia Commonwealth University men’s tennis team, Paul Kostin has built the Rams into one of the nation’s most successful and respected programs during his tenure.

Under Kostin’s direction, VCU has reached the NCAA tournament in 13 consecutive years and finished a season ranked among the top 25 Division I teams a total of 11 times. In 2005, Kostin’s squad upset #23 Mississippi State to reach the tournament’s second round.

In addition, his Rams captured nine straight Colonial Athletic Association championships from 1996-2004 and have only lost three conference matches since he arrived at VCU in 1991. In his 15 years with the Rams, Kostin has amassed an astounding 327-82 record in dual matches and has led VCU to 11 seasons with more than 20 wins. His overall men’s collegiate coaching record stands at 486-156 in 24 years, a winning percentage of better than 75 percent.

VCU has also been nearly invincible at home during Kostin’s reign as head coach, as the Rams have posted a remarkable 186-14 record at the Thalhimer Tennis Center, including a 104-6 mark against in-state opponents.

Kostin’s greatest coaching achievement came during the 2000 campaign, when the Rams put together a remarkable run through the NCAA tournament that culminated in VCU’s first-ever appearance in a national championship match. The unseeded Rams strung together five consecutive victories, including wins over three of the nation’s top 13 ranked programs, to set up a showdown with Stanford for the national title. VCU advanced to the “Sweet 16” with a victory over #13 Mississippi continued its Cinderella story by upsetting fourth-ranked Illinois in the quarterfinal round. The Rams reached the title match with a thrilling 4-3 victory over powerhouse Tennessee in the Final Four and received a final ranking of #9 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, the highest-ever for any VCU sport at the end of a season.

Kostin’s efforts earned him the 2000 National College Coach of the Year award from the United States Professional Tennis Association, just one of many accolades the native of Stockholm, Sweden has garnered as a head coach. In 2004, Kostin received his third consecutive CAA Coach of the Year award and seventh overall in his career. He has also earned USPTA Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year honors a total of eight times. Additionally, Kostin has received three Metro Conference Coach of the Year awards, has twice been chosen as the ITA Regional Coach of the Year and was one of eight finalists for the ITA’s National Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1997.

Not only has Kostin directed VCU to great success as a team, but Ram players have shined individually as well under his guidance, both on the court and in the classroom. Daniel Andersson was selected as the ITA’s national Senior Player of the Year and the Verizon Spring At-Large Academic All-American of the Year for the 1999-00 season. Two VCU players, Olivier Tauma in 1997 and Andersson in 1998, also reached the semifinals of the NCAA individual singles championship, and Andersson also won a pair of ITA grand slam singles events during his outstanding career as a Ram. VCU’s doubles team of Frank Moser and Florian Marquardt also captured the 2000 T. Rowe Price National Clay Court Championship, the first leg of the collegiate grand slam, and the Rams qualified at least one player for the NCAA individual tournament in each of Kostin’s first 14 years at the helm. Nine of Kostin’s players have also earned ITA All-America status, including 2005 honoree Arnaud Lecloerec, while three former Rams have been recognized as Academic All-Americans as well.

Before arriving at VCU, Kostin served as the head coach at his alma mater, Arkansas-Little Rock, from 1981 to 1990. In his nine years at UALR, the Trojans won six Trans America Conference titles and put together an overall record of 159-74.