STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Stony Brook University tennis head coach Gary Glassman has announced his retirement after 24 years at the helm of the program. The six-time conference Coach of the Year has led the Seawolves since the beginning of the school's Division I era in 1999.
 
"The last 30-plus years have been like a dream come true. To be able to coach college tennis and make a career of it has been a true blessing. My 24 years at Stony Brook have been gratifying on so many levels. To witness firsthand the growth of the University and Athletic Department has been incredible. I want to thank Shawn Heilbron and Patrick Muffley for their faith, trust, and support in the tennis program and myself. I would also like to thank all the administrators and fellow coaches who have helped and guided me on my journey.
 
Certainly, I would like to send a special thank you to all the players who proudly wore the Stony Brook uniform. It has always been a team effort, and the relationships that have been built over the years are what truly matter. I have met so many wonderful people during my time in college athletics. I will be forever grateful for this opportunity and its impact on my life," said coach Glassman.
 
Glassman has successfully guided Stony Brook through three conferences (America East, Missouri Valley Conference, Colonial Athletic Association) and elevated the Seawolves to being recognized as one of the top programs in the Northeast Region.
 
"I am extremely appreciative of Gary's 24 years of service to Stony Brook and his dedication to our student-athletes during that time. He has guided our tennis program to multiple conference championships and NCAA appearances while his student-athletes have consistently achieved elite levels of success in the classroom. Gary's presence in the department will be sorely missed but his legacy will stand tall for many years to come," said Director of Athletics Shawn Heilbron.
 
Under his tutelage, more than 70 student-athletes have earned All-Conference honors, including four different conference Players and Rookies of the Year. Excellence in the classroom has been stressed by Glassman annually, as more than 70 student-athletes have earned ITA All-Academic Team awards. Additionally, he helped develop Stony Brook Hall of Famers Michael Crooks '06 (inducted in 2020) and Nini Lagvilava '13 (will be inducted in 2023).
 
While a member of the America East, the women's team dominated from 2011-15, as it collected four consecutive conference titles and earned bids to the NCAA Tournament in each of those seasons.
 
Glassman led the women's program to its first conference championship in program history in 2012, as it went on a memorable run to the NCAA Tournament. That spring, the Seawolves knocked off 18-time defending champion Boston University in the conference semifinals before defeating No. 2 UMBC in the final to advance to their first NCAA Tournament in program history.
 
A former member of the ITA regional ranking committee and chair of the NCAA Division I Tennis Committee, Glassman has collected 551 wins over the course of his career at Stony Brook. 
 
From 1999-2017, Glassman served as the men's tennis head coach. In the 2005-06 season, the squad won the America East Tournament, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The team swept all but one conference award that season, while Glassman was named the Coach of the Year.
 
Before Stony Brook, he guided the men's program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to a regional ranking and a runner-up finish in the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association in 1999. Glassman also coached the University of Louisiana-Monroe women's tennis program to two-straight Southland Conference championships in 1996 and 1997, earning conference Coach of the Year honors in 1997. In 1996, he was selected the Louisiana Sportswriters Coach of the Year.
 
Prior to his time at Louisiana-Monroe, Glassman turned the Georgia Southern women's program around and cracked the Division I national ranks. Glassman's finest season at GSU came in 1995 leading the team to regular season and tournament titles.
 
A Dean's List student and standout athlete at Oneonta State, Glassman was voted team captain and most valuable player during his junior and senior seasons and ranks among the program's top 10 in total wins. In 2019, he was inducted into the Oneonta Athletic Hall of Fame. 
 
Glassman earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1989 and coached at the College of St. Rose upon graduation. He earned his master's degree in sports management in 1991 from Georgia Southern.
 
A national search for a new tennis head coach will begin immediately.