The Texas Tech men’s tennis team added former Red Raider standout Michael Breler to its staff as an assistant coach, announced by Head Coach Daniel Whitehead on Tuesday

Breler will be a primary assistant to the men’s tennis program and Daniel Whitehead, while also assisting with the women’s program following changes in leadership structure by Director of Tennis Todd Petty.

Breler has served as the head tennis coach at nearby Lubbock Cooper since August of 2015, coaching the high school varsity, junior varsity and middle school teams while also teaching private and group lessons to juniors and adults of all ages.

“Michael is a true Red Raider,” Whitehead said. “He was a great player, and he and his family have been in Lubbock for over 10 years and have really embraced this community and city. I’m excited to for what we can do together and we’re lucky to have him join this program.”

History

From 2005-08, Breler shined in the scarlet and black, racking up 27 singles wins during his junior campaign, setting a record for single-season singles victories and single-season winning percentage (.844). Breler would also go undefeated in the Big 12 at the No. 6 position en route to earning Big 12 Player of the Week honors in March of 2008. He picked up Big 12 Champion awards for his individual work at the No. 6 spot in 2008 and at No. 2 in doubles play in 2009.

Breler also stood out in the classroom, earning Academic All-Big 12 first team honors three times while at Tech, becoming one of 10 Red Raiders in program history to make the list at least three times. He garnered ITA Scholar Athlete Status in 2008 and won the Excellence in Financial Education Award from the Society of Financial Service Professionals in 2009.

Breler excited to return:

“I am honored and extremely excited to be the new assistant coach at Tech,” Breler said. “Having the opportunity to coach at my alma mater at this level of competition has always been a dream of mine. I can’t wait to get to work with Coach Whitehead and our players. We have a special group of guys this year who are eager to have a strong season. I want to thank Coach Whitehead and Coach Petty for giving me this incredible opportunity.”

Breler graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Personal Financial Planning in 2010 and would later get his Master’s Degree in Business Administration in 2011.

A native of Malmo, Sweden, Breler graduated from Korrespondensgymnasiet in Torsas in 2005. He was ranked as the No. 8 player in Sweden in the 18 and under division, placing as high as No. 170 in the ITF junior world rankings. Breler won the National Outdoor Team Championships in 2004 and was a four-time state champion in singles and doubles.

The Red Raiders return to action this weekend at the 2019 Midland Invite. Tech is set to return four members of their 2019 singles rotation, including doubles All-Americans Bjorn Thomson and Parker Wynn. Ilgiz Valiev, the 2019 Big 12 Champion at the No. 3 position, is also returning for his junior campaign.