Tim Bauer Position: Head Coach Experience: 8th season Graduated: Furman (1993)

Tim Bauer was named Michigan State women's tennis head coach on Jan. 7 of 2000. Bauer is currently in his sixth year with the Spartan tennis program and continues to work hard towards a Big Ten Championship.

Last year, Bauer led the Spartans to one of its best starts in school history after compiling a 10-2 record at the start of the Big Ten season. That record also includes a seven-match winning-streak and a 9-2 record at home, finishing the season 11-12. Last year, the Spartans also saw their first national ranking since 2003 when they broke into the ITA's top 75 teams on March 21, 2005. MSU reached as high as No. 62 in the ITA rankings - tying the school's highest ranking.

Bauer took over the Spartan women's tennis program after spending the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at Florida State. Bauer was instrumental in helping head coach Lise Gregory take the Lady Seminoles from a national ranking of No. 50 to a No. 19 ranking in 1998-99. FSU posted a 21-7 overall record that year, the best season in 20 years for the Lady Seminoles.

For Bauer, it took a combination of influences and inspirations throughout his career in order to create a full-coaching philosophy. Bauer has found that the physical and mental aspects of the tennis game are equally important, believing that mentally, a player needs to be more composed on the court and encompass a "can do" attitude. He also pushes his players to have a positive outlook on the game and that "the sky is the limit."

"You could be down 5-1," said Bauer, "but if you feel like you can out-last your opponent, maybe you can turn the match around and win it."

Bauer accredits his team's popularity to hometown players such as former Spartan Keri Thompson (Clark Lake, Mich.), Shelley Brady (Grand Blanc) and current Okemos natives Christine Bader and Stephanie Kebler.

"To take local kids who are barely making the national scene in their age group and having them end up as a nationally-ranked college player is very unusual," Bauer said.

In order to reach the level of play he knows his Spartans are capable of, MSU will need to hold a solid ranking and continue to compete against the tough Big Ten Conference. Last year, MSU faced nine ranked teams alone in the Big Ten and 11 overall.

A native of Long Island, N.Y., Bauer did his post-graduate work at Florida where he earned a master's degree in exercise and sport science in 1995. While at Florida, Bauer was a sport science instructor in the College of Health and Human Performance.

Since 1992, Bauer has been a professional tennis coach, working with players on the ATP and WTA tours. His work in the professional ranks has taken him to such Grand Slam events as Wimbledon, the French Open and five U.S. Opens.

Bauer continues to be active in coaching elite juniors as well as coaching at USTA Area Training Centers for the USTA's top ranked juniors. He has also served as a professional coach and consultant to several pro players formerly ranked in the top 100, including WTA players Patricia Hy-Boulais (Canadian No. 1, WTA No. 28), Katarzyna Nowak (Polish No. 1, WTA No. 65), Li Fang (Chinese No. 1, WTA No. 35) and Grant Stafford (ATP No. 78).

Bauer earned a degree in health and exercise science from Furman in 1993 and was also a member of four Southern Conference Championship teams. Bauer is a three-time Academic All-Southern Conference selection.