Oberlin College Women's Tennis

Magda Stepnik enters her third season as the head coach of the Oberlin College women's tennis team during the 2025-26 year after being hired in June of 2023. After winning just one match under her first season as the head coach, Stepnik transformed the women's tennis program in her second year at the helm as Oberlin was awarded the 2025 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Coaching Staff of the Year while also making an appearance in the NCAC Semifinals. Finishing the season with a winning conference record, Stepnik coached two All-NCAC honorees in singles play and an All-NCAC doubles team in addition to an All-NCAC accolade the previous season. Under Stepnik’s direction, the Crimson and Gold have registered 12 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) scholar athletes, seven NCAC Academic Honor Roll recipients, three College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selections, and two ITA All-Academic teams.  Stepnik came to Oberlin after spending the 2022-23 season as the assistant men’s and women’s tennis coach at Bates College where she also served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. Competing in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), which is regarded as one of the toughest in the nation, Stepnik helped lead the Bobcats to a combined 12 wins, including four NESCAC victories on the men’s side. The season was highlighted by nationally-ranked wins over MIT (31), Skidmore (30), and Wesleyan (18), while the Bobcat women also knocked off No. 37 Wellesley.  Prior to her time at Bates, Stepnik worked as an assistant tennis coach at Smith College from 2020-22, earning ITA Assistant Coach of the Year accolades in her second season after helping the Pioneers have their most successful campaign in over 12 years. During her tenure in Northampton, she also was a course instructor in Smith's Exercise and Sport Studies department while earning a master's degree in exercise and sport studies from the institution. A native of Kielce, Poland, she has also coached with the Polish Tennis Association in Warsaw, Poland, as well as with MUKS Gemik Kielce. A three-time ITA Scholar-Athlete, Stepnik was four-year letterwinner at Division II Florida Southern University, combining for 82 wins between the doubles and singles courts while ranking as high as 42nd in the country in singles in 2019. She graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a minor in sports business. MAGDA STEPNIK CAREER COACHING RECORD Season Overall Record NCAC Record NCAC Finish 2023-24 1-17 0-6 7th 2024-25 8-10 3-3 4th Total (2 seasons): 9-27 (.250) 3-9 (.250)

John Erikson enters his 22nd season at Oberlin after he began his tenure as an assistant coach with the Oberlin College men’s and women’s tennis programs in 2004. A 1961 Oberlin graduate and member of the John W. Heisman Club Hall of Fame, Erikson starred in tennis, basketball and football for the Yeomen. Erikson still competes at the national level where he and his son Carl have won 14 father-son national championships, including two "grand slams". Both of his sons, Carl and Erik, also played tennis for Oberlin. Erikson served as the Heisman Club’s President (2004-2006) and is still very actively involved in the organization’s development and success. He and his wife, Margaret (OC ‘62), reside in Oberlin.