Mike Bonnell - Women's Tennis Coach - Bowling Green State University Athletics

Mike Bonnell

Title:
Head Tennis Coach
Email:
mbonnel@bgsu.edu
Phone:
419-372-7061

Coach Bonnell
Hometown	Westerville, Ohio
College	Ohio Northern (1992)
Coaching History
2000-05	Ohio Dominican, Head Men's/Women's Coach
2010-15	Methodist, Head Men's Coach
2016-22	Ohio Northern, Head Men's Coach/Interim Women's Coach (2022)
2022-pres	Bowling Green, Head Coach
Career Head Coaching Record
2000-01	Ohio Dominican, Women: 9-5
2001-02	Ohio Dominican, Men: 10-6, Women: 11-10
2002-03	Ohio Dominican, Men: 7-7, Women: 15-6
2003-04	Ohio Dominican, Men: 12-7, Women: 12-5
2004-05	Ohio Dominican, Men: 14-11, Women: 16-7
2010-11	Methodist, Men: 14-7
2011-12	Methodist, Men: 17-5
2012-13	Methodist, Men: 17-3
2013-14	Methodist, Men: 19-7
2014-15	Methodist, Men: 13-5
2016-17	Ohio Northern, Men: 11-11
2017-18	Ohio Northern, Men: 15-9
2018-19	Ohio Northern, Men: 14-9
2019-20	Ohio Northern, Men: 6-4
2020-21	Ohio Northern, Men: 4-3
2021-22	Ohio Northern, Men: 23-5
2022-23	Bowling Green: 6-16
Totals	Men (15 Years): 196-99, Women (Six Years): 80-54, Total (17 Years): 276-153

On August 22, 2022, Bowling Green State University Director of Athletics and Recreation Bob Moosbrugger announced the hiring of Mike Bonnell as head tennis coach. Bonnell takes over the program after spending the last six seasons at Ohio Northern University, serving as the men’s head coach since 2016 and women’s interim head coach in 2021-22. He is the ninth head coach in the history of the BGSU Tennis program.

In 2023-24, his second season in charge of the Falcons, Bonnell’s team finished 7-15 overall. In the Fall, the Falcons went 19-6 at the IUPUI Fall Invitational. During the Spring season of competition, he helped guide the Falcons to wins over Dayton, University of Mary, North Carolina A&T and Oakland. Additionally, adding sweeps over Western Illinois, Slippery Rock and Indiana Tech. Following the conclusion of the season, he helped Tia Clemens be named the Recipient of the Leann Grimes Davidge Sportsmanship Award and three of his players were named Academic All-MAC selections.

In 2022-23, Bonnell guided one of the youngest rosters in the conference to a 6-16 overall record. This included a five-match win streak in non-conference competition, which matched the program's longest win streak since 2013. The Falcons totaled five weekly awards from the conference, with doubles duo Ioanna Tsadari and Eloise Saraty earning MAC Doubles Team of the Week twice. Also earning that recognition was the pairing of Lucy Furness and Hannah Neuman. Saraty was tabbed MAC Singles Player of the Week once, while Tsadari became the program's first MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Week since 2014. The total of five awards was the most for the team since 2010. At the end of the season, Saraty was named to the All-MAC second-team, BGSU's third consecutive season with an All-MAC selection. Tsadari and Neuman also earned academic recognition, being named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team and the Academic All-MAC Team.

In his six years at ONU, Bonnell guided the men’s team to a 73-41 overall record and Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) regular season and tournament titles in 2022. The men’s squad set a program record with 23 wins last season, including a perfect 6-0 record in conference competition. In the 2022 NCAA D-III Tournament, the Polar Bears defeated Grove City before falling to No. 2 Case Western Reserve. The Polar Bears’ 2021-22 women’s squad finished 19-7 (11-5 under Bonnell) and advanced to the OAC Tournament Finals, finishing runner-up to Otterbein. On May 19, 2022, Bonnell was named OAC Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year.

Throughout his tenure at ONU, Bonnell coached 22 All-OAC honorees, 19 Academic All-OAC selections, and the 2018-19 OAC Player of the Year, Vinh Thai. Last season, six women’s players were named All-OAC, with two earning Academic All-OAC. Prior to his time at Ohio Northern, Bonnell spent five seasons as the head coach of the men’s tennis program at Methodist University. He is the winningest coach in program history compiling an 80-27 record. He mentored one USA South Player of the Year, one Rookie of the Year, and 20 All-USA South honorees. In 2014, he was named USA South Coach of the Year after guiding the Monarchs to a 19-7 record.

Bonnell’s head coaching career began at Ohio Dominican University, where he served as the women’s coach for five seasons and men's coach for four seasons. During his time with the Panthers, he led the teams to postseason play each year and produced five nationally-ranked players. The women’s squad won divisional championships in three of his six seasons at the helm. In 2005, he was named the American Mideast Conference South Division Women's Coach of the Year after finishing the season 16-7. In total, Bonnell has a career head coaching record of 270-137.

Bonnell brings a variety of non-coaching tennis experiences to Bowling Green. He previously served on the NCAA National and Atlantic South Regional ranking committees, as well as the Men’s Tennis Chair of the USA South Conference. He is a USPTA certified Elite Tennis Professional and has served as Director of Tennis for the Village of Pinehurst, Head Tennis Professional at Little Turtle Country Club, and Assistant Head Professional at the New Albany Tennis Center.

Bonnell is a 1992 graduate of Ohio Northern University, obtaining his bachelor’s degree in Communications and Public Relations. He played tennis for the Polar Bears, ranking as high as No. 9 nationally in doubles play. He won three consecutive OAC No. 1 Doubles titles and ranks fourth in program history with a career doubles winning percentage of .851 (40-7). He also competed in the USPTA Men’s 35s, earning Midwest Player of the Year, and ranking as high as 25^th in 2007.