WACO, Texas – Baylor women's tennis head coach Joey Scrivano announced the addition of Chris Frusci as assistant coach Tuesday.
"Chris is a great young coach with a very bright future,” Scrivano said. “He leads with impeccable character and a strong work ethic. His teams always compete hard and play with energy. He has already enjoyed a lot of success, and I look forward to working with him as we continue to build upon Baylor Women’s Tennis’ tradition of excellence."
For the past two years, Frusci has served as the head coach for both the men’s and women’s tennis teams at Saint Leo University in Florida. Last season the Lynbrook, N.Y., native claimed multiple coach of the year awards, being named both men’s and women’s ITA National and South Region Coach of the Year at the Division II level. He was also named the 2016 Sunshine State Conference Men’s Coach of the Year.
"I'm extremely excited to join Baylor's prestigious tennis program and help them maintain their Big 12 prowess while pushing toward new heights,” Frusci said. “I want to thank coach Joey Scrivano and the administration for giving me the opportunity, and I look forward to getting started right away. I also want to thank Saint Leo University for giving me the resources and support to grow as a young coach. Again, I'm very fortunate to be coaching at Baylor University and to have the opportunity to work with and learn from a proven head coach."
Under Frusci’s watch in 2016, the men’s program at Saint Leo earned its program-first SSC regular season title and first-ever SSC Tournament crown. The Lions also garnered their first-ever No. 1 ranking in the South Region, while also being named the No. 1 team in the nation for a solid part of the season. Saint Leo won its first-ever NCAA South Region title to make the NCAA Championships for the first time. In their first trip, they finished as national runner-up after falling to Hawaii Pacific, 5-3, in the National Championship match. The Lions concluded 2016 as the No. 2 team in the country with a 27-2 record overall.
In 2016, Frusci guided the Saint Leo women’s tennis team to their second NCAA Semifinalist finish in school history. The Lions wrapped up the season with a 23-3 overall record, and an undefeated 8-0 record in Sunshine State Conference play, and the program’s first-ever SSC regular season title. Saint Leo finished 2016 with a No. 3 ranking. He saw five student-athletes earn All-SSC honors, along with the program’s first-ever Player and Freshman of the Year. Three of Frusci’s athletes earned ITA All-American singles honors, and two earn ITA All-American Doubles honors.
In his first season at Saint Leo, Frusci guided the men’s team to 16-6 record, and a 5-1 Sunshine State Conference record. He coached three All-SSC Selections and two All-American’s in his first year on the men’s side. The Lions finished 2015 ranked No. 7 in the nation.
On the women’s side, the Lions finished with a 19-6 record, and a 6-2 SSC record. They were a finalist in the NCAA South Region Tournament, and ended the season ranked 6th in the nation. Frusci mentored three All-SSC Selections and one All-American on the women’s side.
Prior to his time with the Lions, Frusci spent four season at the New York Institute of Technology, including three as the head coach. He proved himself to be a contender within the competitive world of Division II Tennis, leading the Bears to national prominence in its four seasons. During the 2014 season, he led the NYIT men's team to its second consecutive trip to the NCAA DII round of 16, all while leading the women's team to an appearance in the NCAA DII Quarterfinal round, the farthest the Bears had advanced in their short four-year history as a program.
He was named the 2014 ITA Men's and Women's East Region Coach of the Year and 2014 ECC Co-Coach of the Year. In his three seasons as head coach at NYIT, he Frusci coached 25 ECC All-Academic selections, 20 All-ECC selections, four CoSIDA Academic All-District honorees, four ECC Rookies of the year, three ECC Players of the Year, one ECC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, one ITA Women's East Region Player to Watch, one ITA All-American, and one CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-America selection.
He received his B.S. in business administration with a concentration in marketing from Muhlenberg in 2008.
Frusci becomes part of a Lady Bear program that has won 19 Big 12 Championships and reached the NCAA Round of 16 in 10 of the last 12 years, including a trip to the quarterfinals in 2015. He replaces Alison Ojeda, who served as Scrivano’s assistant for six seasons and left the program earlier this month to become an assistant for the women’s team at her alma mater Tennessee.
For the latest news on the Baylor women's tennis team, follow its official Twitter account: @BaylorWTennis.
