ITHACA, N.Y. -- Spencer Furman, who successfully guided the Big Red this past season after playing a key role in the success of the men's program, has been elevated to the Carl H. Meinig '31 Head Coach of Women's Tennis full time. Dr. Nicki Moore, the Meakem Smith Director of Athletics and Physical Education, made the announcement on Wednesday.
"Spencer has demonstrated throughout his time at Cornell that he is an exceptional coach, mentor and leader. After unexpectedly taking over the program after the season had already begun, he helped position the program among the region's best, developed multiple All-Ivy performers and built a culture that reflects the values of Cornell Athletics. His ability to connect with student-athletes, his championship-level experience as both a coach and player, and his commitment to excellence make him the ideal person to lead our program into the future. We are excited to remove the interim tag and officially name Spencer as the Carl H. Meinig '31 Head Coach of Women's Tennis."
"I am deeply honored to be named the Carl H. Meinig '31 Head Coach of Women's Tennis," Furman said. "I want to sincerely thank Dr. Nicki Moore and Amy Foster for this incredible opportunity. Cornell represents the highest standard of academic and athletic excellence, and I am grateful for the opportunity to lead this program, mentor these exceptional student-athletes and build upon the proud tradition of Cornell Women's Tennis."
In his first year leading the Big Red as interim head coach, Furman guided Cornell to an 8-12 overall record and a signature road victory over nationally-ranked Harvard. The Big Red earned wins over Dartmouth, Buffalo and UConn, climbed as high as No. 69 in the ITA national rankings and finished the season ranked No. 8 in the ITA New England Regional rankings.
Under Furman's leadership, Cornell produced four All-Ivy League selections, led by junior Michelle Ryndin, who earned first-team honors in both singles and doubles. Ryndin finished the season ranked No. 10 in the region in singles and teamed with Sage Loudon to earn a No. 10 regional doubles ranking. Loudon garnered second-team All-Ivy honors in both singles and doubles, while Victoria Zhao earned honorable mention recognition in singles after finishing among the region's top 15 players.
Prior to taking over the women's program, Furman spent three seasons as an assistant coach for the Cornell men's tennis team and helped oversee one of the most successful stretches in program history. The Big Red compiled a 53-22 overall record from 2022-25, earned three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship each season. Furman helped coach Ivy League Player of the Year and All-American Radu Papoe, along with numerous All-Ivy League performers, as Cornell established itself among the nation's top programs.
Before arriving in Ithaca, Furman served as an assistant coach at Nebraska and worked with the Baylor men's tennis program as a team manager. As a player, he enjoyed a standout collegiate career at both Duke and Baylor. A graduate transfer at Baylor, Furman won the 2021 Big 12 singles championship and helped lead the Bears to the NCAA Championship match and the program's first No. 1 national ranking since 2005. During his four seasons at Duke, he posted 60 career singles victories and 61 doubles wins, reached as high as No. 44 nationally in singles and No. 12 in doubles, and earned an NCAA Doubles Championship berth. A four-time ACC Academic Honor Roll selection and multiple-time ITA Scholar-Athlete, Furman earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Duke in 2020 and an MBA from Baylor in 2022.
