Ferris State Tabs Proven Coach Daniel Hangstefer To Carry On Championship Tennis Tradition

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's and women's tennis programs have a new head coach to carry on their longstanding championship tradition as the Bulldogs have announced the appointment of Daniel Hangstefer to the position.

A former NCAA Division I student-athlete at Lipscomb University, Hangstefer has spent the past four seasons as the head coach at fellow NCAA Division II member Metropolitan State University of Denver (Colo.). He will officially begin his duties at FSU in July.

"With the strong tradition and success of Bulldog Tennis, we could not be more excited in naming Daniel Hangstefer as our new Head Coach for Ferris State," said FSU Athletics Director Perk Weisenburger. "Daniel was very impressive during his interviews and clearly demonstrated proven abilities in establishing a clear vision and culture designed to build character, develop young people and win championships. He spoke of all the intangibles that are so vital in building and maintaining the right culture and we were extremely impressed with his commitment and passion as a leader and tennis coach. We are excited for our student-athletes and tennis programs with Daniel as our new head coach." 

"I also want to recognize and congratulate Jon Coles, our Associate Athletics Director, for his excellent work and heavy lifting where this search is concerned," he added. "Jon does an excellent job for us and he deserves a great deal of credit for managing this process."

This past year, Hangstefer was recognized as the 2017 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) South Central Regional Coach of the Year and he has also earned Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Women's Co-Coach of the Year recognition each of the past two seasons. 

The 2016-17 season was an impressive one for Metro State under Hangstefer's watch as both squads captured RMAC regular-season and tournament championships, which were the first for the women since 2004 and the men since 2009.

"I couldn't be more excited about the future of our tennis programs with Coach Hangstefer at the helm," Coles said. "We found a character driven and caring coach who stresses the development of the whole student-athlete. He is a student of the game and a clear communicator, which translates into great player development. Finally, he is a proven recruiter domestically and internationally and is determined to find the best fits for Ferris State. We found a tireless worker with the whole package so I'm thrilled for our student athletes moving forward."

Both of Hangstefer's Metro State squads earned top five regional rankings this past year. Between both teams, the Roadrunners captured four major RMAC awards as well as having a total of 12 student-athletes named to the all-conference teams. Hangstefer coached the 2017 RMAC Women's Player of the Year in freshman Tabitha Porter along with the 2017 RMAC Men's Player of the Year in junior Josh Graetz among the many award recipients.

During his tenure at Metro State, Hangstefer has twice led a nationally-ranked men's squad and he's mentored 15 ITA All-Academic players along with two ITA All-Academic Teams. He's also had six players recognized as the RMAC Freshman of the Year and two chosen as the league's Player of the Year in addition to guiding a total of 28 all-conference recipients. 

"I'd like to thank Perk Weisenburger, Jon Coles and the search committee for placing their trust in me as the next Ferris State head coach," Hangstefer said. "I am super excited to start working with the players immediately. The goal is to win championships and produce championship-caliber players. I know the team is excited to start working and preparing for the season and I look forward to training with them."

Over his four years at Metro State, Hangstefer has led a remarkable turnaround for both programs. The men's squad went from a middle of the pack team to the league champion while the women's program has moved from the bottom of the conference to the top in his four-year stretch. His women's squad finished a perfect 6-0 in RMAC action this past year, earning the program's first national ranking since 2004.

In addition to the championship success on the court, Hangstefer's teams have also performed well in the classroom with both squads recording a cumulative grade point average above 3.0 this past year. They've also put in more than 500 hours of community service in the last four years and partnered with local organizations such as the United States Tennis Association, ITA, High Altitude Tennis Academy and the Denver Parks and Recreation department to bring major events and tournaments to their tennis facility. He served as the host and the NCAA site liaison for the 2016 NCAA Division II Spring Sports Festival in Denver where the Ferris State men's tennis squad reached the final four.

Prior to his time at MSU, Hangstefer spent the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, Texas, where he was named the ITA South Central Region men's assistant coach of the year in 2013. He helped the Mustangs win both the Lone Star Conference and the regional tournament while advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. On the women's side, Midwestern State advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen after also winning the regional title as he helped both squads to a top 20 national ranking. In his three seasons at Midwestern State, six student-athletes earned national academic awards. During his time in Wichita Falls, he also served as a prep tennis coach at Christ Academy and was an assistant teaching pro at the Hamilton Park Tennis Center.

As a student-athlete, Hangstefer played four years at NCAA Division I Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn., playing No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles, while earning academic all-conference honors and serving as team captain. He earned his bachelor's degree in oral communications with a Bible minor in 2010 and is currently pursuing his master's degree in training and development. Hangstefer is currently the world's #1 ranked player in mixed doubles deaf tennis and has competed in both the World Deaf Championships and the Deaflympics, winning both gold and silver medals. 

Hangstefer has also been active on various ITA committee's, including serving as the regional men's award chair in 2017. 

The Bulldogs have presently won the last three consecutive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Regular-Season Championships in men's tennis and are the two-time defending league tournament champions. FSU has reached the NCAA Division II Elite Eight each of the past two years and made a school all-time best Final Four showing in 2016. Together, the Bulldog men's and women's tennis programs have combined for a total of 36 GLIAC Championships and made 41 NCAA Tournament appearances in program history.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT COACH HANGSTEFER!

"Daniel is a fantastic young coach and a great role model for young adults. He cares deeply about the game of tennis and has proven that he can build tennis programs. Coach H is a class act and I believe he will continue to build both tennis programs at Ferris State into national championship contenders." - Scott Linn, Head Men's & Women's Tennis Coach, Midwestern State University

"I am glad to see Daniel chosen as the next head coach at Ferris State. I know he will continue and grow the tradition of success within the program. He has great passion for tennis and is very committed to developing the total student-athlete. I look forward to seeing what the program can achieve in the coming years." - Samantha Schall, Head Men's & Women's Tennis Coach, University of Illinois-Springfield

"I am excited to see what Bulldog Tennis has in store for the future under Coach Hangstefer. With his knowledge of the game and hustle as a coach, I believe he's a great fit for the Bulldog Nation and I look forward to seeing him at the helm this fall." - Danny Hunt, FSU alum 
and interim head coach in 2016-17

"I was blown away when I met Coach Hangstefer. There is something incredible about him and seeing how passionate he is about tennis. You could see the dedication in his eyes. I loved his specific game plan for each practice and I believe that as a player on the developing side, I'll improve exponentially with his encouragement. After only speaking with him for a short time, I already feel motivated and committed to the hard work we have ahead." - Madelyn Groulx, Ferris State Women's Tennis Student-Athlete

"Daniel was very impressive during his interviews and clearly demonstrated proven abilities in establishing a clear vision and culture designed to build character, develop young people and win championships. He spoke of all the intangibles that are so vital in building and maintaining the right culture and we were extremely impressed with his commitment and passion as a leader and tennis coach. We are excited for our student-athletes and tennis programs with Daniel as our new head coach." - Perk Weisenburger, FSU Athletics Director

"I couldn't be more excited about the future of our tennis programs with Coach Hangstefer at the helm. We found a character driven and caring coach who stresses the development of the whole student-athlete. He is a student of the game and a clear communicator, which translates into great player development. Finally, he is a proven recruiter domestically and internationally and is determined to find the best fits for Ferris State. We found a tireless worker with the whole package so I'm thrilled for our student athletes moving forward." - 
Jon Coles, FSU Associate Athletics Director