Adam Steinberg - Men's Tennis Coach - University of Michigan Athletics

Adam Steinberg

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
adamste@umich.edu
Phone:
734-660-6771

Adam Steinberg completed in his ninth season as head coach in 2022-23, a historic season for the Wolverines men's tennis program. The team made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, for the first time in program history. The talented corps had a 27-5 record with the 27 wins being the second most in program history. The Wolverines had a 13-match win streak, the program's longest win streak since 1988. As the No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament, Michigan blanked its first two opponents 4-0 and took down No. 10 USC in the Super Regional, an unforgettable match at the Varsity Tennis Center. Facing No. 2 seed TCU in the Elite 8, the match was re-scheduled due to weather. Michigan captured the doubles point but ultimately fell 4-1 to TCU. It was the first time all season Michigan won the doubles and did not win the match (22-1).Ranked in the top-10 of the ITA rankings all season, the team finished the season ranked No. 6 in the final poll, its highest final ranking since the 2020 pandemic ended the season early. Ondrej Styler capped off his Michigan career with a run to the NCAA Singles national championship. The B1G Player of the Year, had a 21-match win streak to capture All-American honors. As the No. 8 seed in the tournament, Styler topped five opponents and took down No. 1 Eliot Spizzirri (Texas) in the quarterfinals. Styler was one point away from defeating Ethan Quinn (Georgia) in the national championship before the Bulldog fought off four match points and went on to win. Andrew Fenty earned doubles All-America honors for the second time of his career reaching the quarterfinals in both singles and doubles with partner Gavin Young. Styler, Fenty and Patrick Maloney were named first-team All-B1G with Young on the second team. All four qualified for the NCAA Singles Championships.

The ITA Midwest Coach of the Year, Steinberg comes off of a memorable season with the Wolverines in 2022, as the squad finished with a 25-4 record which stands as the third most wins in program history. Michigan captured multiple wins over top-ranked opponents including No. 1 TCU, Ohio State at No. 2 and 4, and No. 6 Baylor. A 13-match win streak and a perfect 16-0 record at home during the season culminated with a Big Ten Tournament Championship, the program's first since 1996. The Wolverines earned the title with a 4-2 win over rival Ohio State. Ondrej Styler was named the MVP of the tournament, with Patrick Maloney also making an appearance on the All-Tournament Team. Michigan then made its sixth consecutive appearance and 31st appearance overall in the NCAA Tournament. As the No. 5 seed, the Wolverines hosted the first and second rounds, with matching 4-0 sweeps of Western Michigan and Oklahoma. The Wolverines hosted their first Super Regional in which they made their first appearance since 2018 and dispatched No. 12 seed Texas, 4-2. In the Elite Eight for the first time in 34 years, Michigan faced No. 4 seed Ohio State for the fourth time in the 2021-22 campaign. The Wolverines took the doubles point before OSU won four singles matches to end the series at two matches apiece. Gavin Young was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and four Wolverines earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors including Jacob Bickersteth, Patrick Maloney and Ondrej Styler. Styler was one of 64 players chosen for the NCAA Singles Championship, while Andrew Fenty and Nino Ehrenschneider competed for the NCAA Doubles Championship.

The Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2021, Steinberg led Michigan to the Big Ten East Division title and an NCAA tournament appearance during the 2020-21 season. With the pandemic splitting the conference into East and West for the year, the Wolverines went 9-1 in the East and 14-2 in the conference overall. Highlighting the season was Michigan's first win over Ohio State in 21 years, winning four matches via shutout for the first time since 1987 and being ranked in all four national polls. For the first time since 1980, four players were named all-Big Ten, including: Andrew Fenty (first team) Ondrej Styler (first team), Patrick Maloney (second team) and Mattias Siimar (second team). With a 15-5 overall record, the Wolverines closed out the season in a 4-3 loss to Arizona State in the NCAA Tournament.

Though the 2019-20 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was historic. Michigan ranked third in the nation, the program's highest ranking since 1998 with a 14-3 overall record. The Wolverines had a 10-match win streak during the spring season that included a semifinal appearance in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship. The squad posted four wins over top-10 teams and won the doubles point in 14 of 17 matches, finishing the season with fourth straight shutouts.

Accolades were abundant during the year, with Andrew Fenty earning the Big Ten's Athlete of the Week three of the eight times it was awarded en route to capturing Big Ten Player of the Year. Fenty is the fourth Wolverine in program history to have earned both the league's rookie and player of the year awards. Fenty was a double All-American earning the honors in singles and in doubles along with partner Mattias Siimar. The duo ranked No. 2 in the nation. Siimar was a second-team all-Big Ten selection, while Ondrej Styler was a first-team pick.

In 2018-19 the Wolverines secured their fourth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. Despite losing four players from the previous years lineup, Michigan registered 18 wins and an NCAA Tournament first-round victory over Dartmouth. The No. 20-ranked Maize and Blue were led by Fenty, who put together one of the strongest rookie campaigns in program history. Fenty was named ITA Rookie of the Year, ITA Midwest Player to Watch, ITA Midwest Rookie of the Year, Big Ten Rookie of the Year and first team All-Big Ten. He finished with a 27-7 record in singles play, and a 25-7 record in doubles.Fenty's 27 wins are the third most in program history for a freshman. Fenty became the 28th player in Michigan history to join the 20-20 club (20 doubles wins and 20 singles wins in a season) and just the sixth freshman.

In 2018, Steinberg built on the team’s success from the past two seasons, as he coached the team to a 22-win season, the fourth-best total in school history. Michigan reached the NCAA Tournament sweet 16 for the first time since 2008, and its third trip to the NCAA Tournament in as many years. The Wolverines knocked off Cleveland State and Notre Dame in the first and second rounds respectively before falling in a 4-2 match to No. 2 UCLA in the Round of 16. Michigan, which began the season ranked No. 17, finished at No. 14 in the final ITA rankings. U-M had a nine match winning streak during the season, while also having two ITA All-Americans (Runhao Hua and Alex Knight).

Michigan finished the 2016-17 campaign with 23 wins and advanced to the Big Ten Tournament Championship for only the second time in school history. In their second trip to the NCAA Tournament in as many years, the Wolverines knocked off Valparaiso in the first round before falling in a 4-1 match to No. 16 Stanford. Michigan, which began the season ranked No. 21, finished at No. 17 in the final ITA rankings.

Steinberg led Michigan to its biggest turnaround in school history during the 2015-16 season, increasing U-M's win total from seven to 21 with essentially the same team. The Wolverines went 14-0 at the Varsity Tennis Center, marking the first undefeated season in school history at the VTC. U-M finished tied for the third in the Big Ten with an 8-3 record and made a run to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. In their return to the NCAA Tournament, the Wolverines knocked off East Tennessee State in the first round before falling in a tight 4-2 match to No. 6 Wake Forest. Michigan, which began the season unranked, finished at No. 25 in the final ITA rankings.

Hired on June 14, 2014, Steinberg is the 15th head coach in the storied history of the Michigan men's tennis program. Steinberg arrived in Ann Arbor after a successful 13-year head coaching tenure with Pepperdine University (2002-14), where he delivered a national championship in 2006 and compiled an overall record of 282-105 (.729) as the leader of the Waves.

The 2006 Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Coach of the Year and a seven-time West Coach Conference Coach of the Year, Steinberg guided Pepperdine to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, including five Sweet 16 appearances, one Elite Eight trip and two Final Four appearances.

Steinberg won 10 WCC tournament championships and two conference regular-season titles during his tenure with the program, and 10 of his 13 teams finished in top 30 of the final ITA national rankings. Following the 2006 season, which saw the Waves go 36-2 overall and claim the NCAA team title, he was honored as the ITA National Coach of the Year. Steinberg also claimed the ITA Southwest Regional Coach of the Year in 2012 and was inducted into the Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.

Eleven of Steinberg's players at Pepperdine were named ITA All-Americans 27 times (13 in singles, 14 in doubles), and a Wave student-athlete has been named WCC Player of the Year in 12 of his 13 seasons. In addition, he tutored 32 All-WCC first-team selections in singles and 18 first-team doubles pairs.

In 33 years as a head coach, Steinberg, who has also made coaching stops at Alabama, Northwestern and St. John's, has accumulated an overall record of 582-287 (.711). Prior to taking the helm at Pepperdine, he was the head coach at Alabama (1998-02), where he posted an overall record of 69-57 (.548) and led the Crimson Tide to four NCAA Tournament appearances.

A native of New York, Steinberg began his coaching career at St. John's University from 1989-95. In six seasons with the Red Storm, he posted a dual-match record of 76-23 (.768) and led the program to a Big East title in 1991. Steinberg was an assistant coach at St. John's for the 1989-90 season and spent two seasons at Northwestern (1996-97).

Steinberg enjoyed a successful collegiate tennis career at Penn State (1984-88), where he served as team captain his senior season. He received his bachelor's degree in marketing from Penn State in 1989.

Steinberg and his wife, Casey, have two daughters, Mia and Billie.

THE STEINBERG FILE

Head Coaching Career
Head Coach, Michigan (2014-present) record: 172-64
Head Coach, Pepperdine (2002-14) record: 265-92
Head Coach, Alabama (1998-02) record: 69-58
Head Coach, St. John's (1991-95) record: 76-23

Awards
ITA Coach of the Year (2006)
ITA Midwest Regional Coach of the Year (2022)
ITA Southwest Regional Coach of the Year (2012)
Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Fame (2011)
7x WCC Coach of the Year
Big Ten Coach of the Year (2021)

By The Numbers
1 National Championship (2006, Pepperdine)
12 Conference Tournament Championships (1 B1G, 10 WCC, 1 Big East)
3 Regular-Season Conference Titles (1 Michigan, 2 WCC)
21 NCAA Tournament Appearances (7 Michigan, 10 Pepperdine, 4 Alabama)
39 ITA All-Americas (9 Michigan, 27 Pepperdine, 3 Alabama) - 21 singles, 18 doubles
14 Conference Players of the Year (2 Michigan, 12 Pepperdine)
65 First-Team All-Conference Player Honors (15 Michigan, 50 Pepperdine, 5 Alabama)

Year	Team	Record
1990	St. John's	15-1
1991	St. John's	11-3
1992	St. John's	15-5
1993	St. John's	11-3
1994	St. John's	11-4
1995	St. John's	13-7
at St. John's		76-23
1998	Alabama	13-12
1999	Alabama	17-11
2000	Alabama	5-17
2001	Alabama	19-10
2002	Alabama	15-8
at Alabama		69-58
2003	Pepperdine	17-11
2004	Pepperdine	19-9
2005	Pepperdine	24-3
2006	Pepperdine	36-2
2007	Pepperdine	23-8
2008	Pepperdine	20-7
2009	Pepperdine	20-10
2010	Pepperdine	17-11
2011	Pepperdine	18-5
2012	Pepperdine	27-7
2013	Pepperdine	27-6
2014	Pepperdine	17-13
at Pepperdine		265-92
2015	Michigan	7-17
2016	Michigan	21-8
2017	Michigan	23-7
2018	Michigan	22-6
2019	Michigan	18-9
2020	Michigan	14-3
2021	Michigan	15-5
2022	Michigan	25-4
2023	Michigan	27-5
at Michigan		172-64
Career		582-237