Lansing Sun

Michigan State University has announced the appointment of Vince Orlando as the new assistant coach for its men's tennis team. Vince Orlando, who hails from Lansing, Michigan, follows in the footsteps of his father, Gene Orlando, a former MSU men's tennis coach who retired in 2022 after a successful 31-year tenure.

"I couldn't be more excited to join the MSU Tennis coaching staff," Vince Orlando expressed. "Coaching on the courts I grew up on is truly a dream come true. Spartan tennis is one big family, and I'm eager to continue and build upon that legacy."

Orlando takes over from Kazuki Matsuno, who departed in December to join Pepperdine's coaching staff. Head coach Harry Jadun expressed enthusiasm about Orlando's addition to the team: "We are thrilled to welcome Vince Orlando to our coaching staff. Vince brings a wealth of experience as a player, and his expertise will undoubtedly have a positive impact on our student-athletes. Having grown up around our program, Vince understands what it truly means to be a Spartan. There's no doubt in my mind that he is the perfect fit to help push this program forward, and I'm confident he has an incredibly bright future ahead of him in the coaching world."

Vince Orlando played collegiate tennis at Ball State University for five seasons. He was recognized with the Mid-American Conference's Jack Vredevelt Sportsmanship Award and received All-MAC Tournament accolades. His achievements include being named MAC Athlete of the Week five times and helping Ball State achieve a high ranking of No. 44 during his career.

In addition to his athletic accomplishments, Orlando excelled academically at Ball State. He contributed to three ITA Academic Team awards and earned ITA Scholar-Athlete recognition five times. He was also involved with Ball State's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), serving as treasurer during his senior year.

Orlando holds a bachelor's degree in interpersonal communication with a minor in psychology and a master's degree in information communication sciences from Ball State University.

The Spartans are scheduled for upcoming matches against Tennessee on January 31 and Clemson on February 2.