Western Michigan University Athletics

Ryan Tomlinson, a Western Michigan alumnus and former student-athlete, enters his sixth season as head coach of the Bronco women's tennis team and his 15th overall as part of the program in the 2020-21 season.

He had previously served as an assistant under Mid-American Conference and WMU Athletics Hall of Fame coach Betsy Kuhle.

A key part of the Broncos’ dominance during the decade of the 2000s, Tomlinson helped lead Western Michigan to four consecutive MAC regular season championships from 2005-08 and MAC Tournament titles in 2006 and 2007. 

Tomlinson's fifth season at the helm was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Broncos were off to a 6-6 start when the remainder of the campaign was canceled. WMU was being led by sophomore Femke Tjon-A-Joe, who had played every dual match on court one in both singles and doubles. The Broncos' order got a boost from Valerie Riegraf, who Tomlinson led on a seven-match winning streak at the end of the season. Tomlinson also guided freshman Lindsey Zieglar to 14 singles wins, tied for the most on the squad, while her 10 doubles victories were the most by a Bronco. 

Western Michigan went 12-11 overall and 4-3 in MAC action during the 2018-19 campaign, earning the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. Two Broncos earned All-MAC accolades, with senior Melina Lyubomirova named to the first team and senior Denise Azcui picking up a second team selection. Lyubomirova went 19-8 in doubles with Tjon-A-Joe, dropping just one conference match. Azcui led Western Michigan with five conference singles victories. Tomlinson recorded his 50th win as head coach of the Broncos on March 24, 2019, defeating Northern Illinois in a road MAC contest 5-2. 

In his third year with the Broncos, Western Michigan went 11-13 overall, 2-6 in the MAC and 9-3 in Kalamazoo during the 2017-18 season. Under Tomlinson, WMU got it done in the classroom placing four on the Academic All-MAC Team including Azcui, Katja Fevralev, Lyubomirova and Gabriela Slavova. Barbare Eristavi finished her career ranked in the top-20 of the all-time Bronco win list with 170 combined wins and was also named All-MAC second team. Azcui became the second Bronco in program history, and first since 1992, to be named the 2018 Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division I Midwest Regional Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership & Sportsmanship Award winner while teammate Lyubomirova earned All-MAC second team honors under Tomlinson.

During the 2016-17 season, the Broncos posted a 10-13 overall record and a 4-4 MAC record in Tomlinson’s second year as head coach. Western Michigan appeared in the MAC Tournament for the second consecutive year under Tomlinson. WMU was knocked out in the quarterfinals to the No. 3 seed Buffalo. Tomlinson coached senior Tracy Kuhl, who finished her career ninth on the all-time Bronco win list with 182 singles/doubles wins and was presented the MAC Medal of Excellence. Barbare Eristavi placed herself on the Bronco win list as well with 145 combined wins and will have another year to add to that. WMU got it done in the classroom as well placing five on the Academic All-MAC Team including Azcui, Fevralev, Kuhl, Lyubomirova and Olivia Myers.

In Tomlinson's first year as head coach in 2015-16, he led the Broncos to their highest win total since the 2008-09 season with a 19-8 record overall record to go along with a 6-2 record in the MAC. Under Tomlinson, WMU went 2-0 in the MAC Tournament before falling in the MAC Tournament Championship with a team that did not boast one senior. He coached junior Kuhle to earn second team All-MAC and a pair of freshman to earn All-MAC Tournament team honors in Azcui and Lyubomirova. WMU went 10-1 at home under Tomlinson in his first season.

In 2015 WMU posted its best season in nearly a decade, with the Broncos going 15-9 overall and an impressive 7-1 in Mid-American Conference play.  Two players recruited by Tomlinson - Meika Ashby and Myers - were honored as second team All-MAC selections, while sophomore Kuhle earned MAC All-Tournament honors at the end of the season. The conference record posted by the Broncos was their best since going a perfect 8-0 in 2008.

Tomlinson returned to the Broncos in the middle of the 2012-13 season and immediately made an impact on the team. WMU opened the conference season with a 4-0 record for the first time since 2009, and junior Nini Sujashvili earned second team All-MAC honors, the second time in her career she was named All-MAC. Tomlinson worked hard on the recruiting trail as well, playing a key part in earning the Broncos national accolades; Western Michigan's Class of 2013 was named an Honorable Mention on TennisRecruiting.net's list of Top Mid-Major Recruiting Classes.

Tomlinson was part of the women's tennis program during its dominant stretch in the mid-2000's, helping lead them to four straight Mid-American Conference regular season titles from 2005-08, as well as MAC Tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2006 and 2007. Tomlinson coached three MAC Players of the Year, nine First Team All-MAC selections, and eight Second Team All-MAC selections in his first stint with the Broncos, and was involved in the coaching and development of the top five players on the Broncos' overall wins list.

The 2009 season saw Tomlinson and the Broncos reach the MAC championship match for the fifth consecutive season, as well as senior Kerstin Pahl setting the MAC career records for overall wins (232) and singles victories (114). Pahl broke Western Michigan's career wins record in the process, passing her teammate Noriko Saruta, who had set the mark in the 2008 season. Tomlinson helped coach Pahl to MAC Player of the Year in 2008, joining Malena Remynse (2006) and Frederika Girsang (2003) as the only three MAC Players of the Year to come from Western Michigan. The Broncos finished the 2008 season with a #53 national ranking, their highest end-of-season finish in program history.

In 2007, Tomlinson helped the Broncos to a 22-7 record, the second-best single-season wins total in program history, as well as a third consecutive undefeated MAC finish. The Broncos won the MAC Tournament for the second straight season, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in program history. The Broncos advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2006, as well, posting an undefeated mark in conference play and winning the MAC Tournament in dominant fashion.

Tomlinson was a four-year letterwinner for the Broncos men's tennis team, finishing his career with 179 victories. He played in 301 matches for the Brown & Gold and teamed with Steve Pillon to win a school record 88 doubles matches as a tandem. A two-time All-MAC selection, Tomlinson was a part of two MAC championship teams and two NCAA tournament squads.

Tomlinson is married to the former WMU gymnast Lori Gerhardt. They have three sons, Ty, Graydon and Myles.