The Missouri Valley College Athletic Department announces the hiring of Brett Bridel as new Head Coach for the men’s and women’s tennis programs.
Bridel is a longtime coaching veteran, coaching tennis across multiple collegiate levels. Most recently, Bridel spent one season leading the men’s and women’s tennis programs at NJCAA Seward County (Kan.), guiding a women’s player to an individual National championship at the NJCAA Women’s National Tournament.
Prior to his time at Seward County, Bridel spent more than a decade at NCAA Division II Lewis (Ill.) as head coach of the men’s and women’s tennis programs, from 2007 through 2020. During that time, Bridel won two Great Lakes Valley Conference women’s championships (2012 and 2016), and guided both men’s and women’s programs to multiple NCAA Division II National Tournament appearances. The women’s team made five National tournament appearances (2012-14, 2016, 2017), advancing to the round of 16 twice, and the men’s team played in six National tournaments (2010, 2012, 2015-16, 2018-19). Bridel was also named the GLVC Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year four times (2012-14, 2016), and the ITA Midwest Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year in 2012. Additionally, his programs earned a combined 22 ITA All-Academic Team awards, produced a combined 112 ITA Scholar Athletes and a combined five Capital One Academic All-Americans.
Additionally, Bridel built the men’s and women’s tennis programs at DuPage (Ill.), leading the men’s team to back-to-back NJCAA National championships in 2003 and 2004, and the women’s team to a National runner-up finish in 2004. Bridel was also named the NJCAA Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year and NJCAA Region IV Coach of the Year during his time at DuPage. Additionally, Bridel spent two seasons coaching the women’s tennis team at NCAA Division I Southern Illinois in 2004 and 2005.
Other head coaching stops for Bridel include producing an individual NJCAA women’s tennis National champion in 2024 at Seward County (Kan.), and two seasons leading the Point (Ga.) tennis programs. Bridel will take over the heading coaching duties at Missouri Valley from Interim Head Coach Liam Kahmeyer, who led the programs during the fall competition season. Kahmeyer will stay on staff as an assistant going into the spring competition season.