Dr. Tommy Valentini

Biography

Dr. Tommy Valentini is in his 16th year as head coach of the Gustavus men's tennis team in the 2024-25 academic year. Valentini, who had been an assistant coach for the Gusties from 2006 to 2009, replaced Steve Wilkinson who retired after serving as the head coach for the 39 years prior. Valentini became the 16th head coach in the 92-year history of the men's tennis program at Gustavus. He has directed the program to 13 consecutive MIAC Playoff Championships and 14 regular season titles and holds an overall record of 273-104 and an MIAC mark of 111-0. The Gusties are the third winningest program in the history of Division III tennis with an all-time mark of 1303-532-3 (.710 winning percentage). Gustavus has claimed two NCAA Team Championships (1980, 1982), while also winning six national titles in doubles and four national titles in singles. In MIAC play, Gustavus leads all programs in titles won with 55. A 2002 Gustavus graduate and four-year letterwinner on the tennis team, Valentini earned his PhD from the University of Minnesota School of Kinesiology where his research focused on moral education in and through sport. Valentini is a professor in the philosophy department teaching courses in Sport Ethics and Philosophy of Sport. During his playing career at Gustavus, Valentini compiled a record of 60-7 in singles and 53-9 in doubles. He was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American compiling a 3.9 GPA with majors in honors history and religion, and received the Arthur Ashe Aw

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