University of Redlands Men's Tennis

University of Redlands Director of Athletics Jeff Martinez announced Friday that Michael Longanecker has been chosen to be the next Head Coach of the Men's and Women's Tennis programs. "I am excited to get to know the student-athletes and learn their games," Longanecker stated.  "They are a talented group and I cannot wait to start competing alongside them as a Bulldog! I want to thank Jeff Martinez and the search committee for this amazing opportunity.  This program has such a rich history and tradition, and I am honored to step into this role and continue its legacy."   Michael comes to the Bulldogs most recently from Westcliff University, where he led their women's tennis program since 2022. During his time with the Warriors, he won back-to-back GSAC tournament titles, made the NAIA Outdoor and Indoor National Tournaments, and coached five All-Americans.  He started his collegiate coaching career as an assistant men's and women's tennis coach at Caltech in 2003.  He spent 17-years teaching tennis and coaching professionally at the Upland Tennis Club - Advantage Tennis Academy and Raqcuet Club of Irvine.  His duties included not only private instruction but group workouts, high performance and development, and college placement for many young tennis players. From 2017-2022, Michael served as the Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach at Hope International University, where he successfully grew the rosters, enhanced the competition level of both programs, and saw each team earn a spot at the ITA National Championships in 2021, which was their first appearance.           Michael graduated from the University of La Verne in 2008, where he played both No. 1 singles and doubles for the Leopards.  He completed his bachelor's in business administration with an emphasis in marketing. He later earned his MBA in Management from Hope International. "Coach Longanecker brings a passion for teaching and coaching tennis, along with a great appreciation for our history of excellence," Martinez explained.  "He has successfully coached both men's and women's programs simultaneously, and I am confident he will find the necessary balance to provide that mentorship and leadership to all the student-athletes in our tennis programs.  I have no doubt that his more than 20 years of teaching, coaching, and playing professionally, along with his desire for success, will provide a positive and successful Bulldog student-athlete experience."     The Bulldog men's and women's teams each finished 2024 ranked 17th in the final ITA Division III National Rankings. It was the highest year-end ranking for the men since 2017 and the highest for the women since 2022.  

University of Redlands Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach Mike Longanecker announced Michael Harmon as the new assistant coach for the men's and women's tennis programs in 2025. Harmon came to the Bulldogs after serving as the Head Coach for men's and women's tennis at SUNY Oneonta in New York for the 2023-24 season. Prior to that he spent 2022-23 at Pacific Lutheran University in Washington where he was the Head Coach for both programs. Harmon joined Oneonta with extensive tennis industry knowledge and 15 years of coaching experience. In his first season with the Oneonta women's team, the Red Dragons went 11-11 with a 4-3 mark in SUNYAC play. Oneonta reached the SUNYAC Tournament Semifinals, with three players being named All-SUNYAC. On the men's team, Oneonta went 11-11 and 2-1 in the WIAC. The Red Dragons had one player named All-WIAC. Before Pacific Lutheran, Harmon served as the assistant coach for Mesa Community College in Arizona, where he led practices, recruited student-athletes, and enhanced the overall educational development of the students. He also worked with the top juniors in the Southwest at the Players Academy in Scottsdale, AZ with five going on to play at the collegiate level. Four of which played Division I and one who went Division III.  In 2020, Harmon coached a player to runner-up in the Arizona State Championships at Notre Dame Prep. From 2009-11, he was the head coach at St. Pius X High School in Kansas City, Missouri. While at St. Pius, Harmon guided the Warriors to a 56-4 record. Additionally, Harmon created and implemented a workout and injury prevention program that collegiate coaches adopted for their teams.  Harmon was the primary head tennis professional at the Clayview Country Club in Kansas City, Missouri, bringing in new members and maintaining the courts and equipment. A prolific college player, Harmon was a seven-time All-Saint Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) selection at Westminster College and was named to the SLIAC All-Decade Team for 2000-2009. Harmon continues to play competitively and is one of the nation's top tennis players in his age group. Harmon earned a Bachelor's Degree in International Business from Westminster College (Mo.) and Queen Mary College of London (U.K.). As a collegiate player, Harmon played all four years for the Bluejays and led his team to four consecutive SLIAC conference championships which earned the team's first national ranking in the program's history. During that span, he only lost one singles and doubles match and was undefeated from sophomore to senior year. He holds a Master's Degree in International Business from Oklahoma City University. Harmon is also certified with the USPTA as a tennis professional.  

Erik Lundblad returned to the Bulldog men's tennis program as a coach in 2002 after graduating from Redlands with a bachelor's degree in sociology.A varsity letter-winner as a Bulldog, Lundblad began his collegiate career at Saddleback College, where he earned All-Conference, All-State, and All-America honors, and was inducted into the Gaucho Hall of Fame. He led the team to two consecutive top-three finishes in the state of California while boasting individual rankings in the top 10 for doubles and the top 30 for singles. He was also a double finalist at the prestigious Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament. Equipped with his certification with the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR), he teaches private lessons at the University of Redlands. His passion for tennis and overall desire help the players achieve excellence. When on the court, he enjoys finding the style of play that best fits the athlete while helping him or her utilize all fundamentals of the game. For him, coaching is rewarding, challenging, and fun, as he likes the opportunity to work with different people.

Played four years of NCAA DII Women's Tennis at Dominican University of California (PacWest Conference). Selected for DII ITA Scholar Athlete (2020, 2021), Academic All-PacWest Team (2020,2021), and Scholar Athlete of the Year (2022 and 2023). Previously graduated from Redlands High School, winning CIF-SS Team junior year with a 23-0 season.