Men’s tennis looks like a whole different team with the addition of coach Justin Muthler, 2011 graduate and 2008 team MVP tennis alumnus.
Muthler stepped into the role of coaching during the men’s and women’s season last year, after the previous coach had to leave abruptly due to personal concerns.
“Love of the game, love of the people, and love of the university. I love it here, and I thoroughly enjoy my time being around the men’s and women’s teams,” said Muthler.
Coaching isn’t Muthler’s full-time job. Muthler spends his mornings as a teacher at Tunkhannock Elementary School and his nights coaching the team. What makes him stand out the most is being an alumnus of the men’s team. This helps him connect to the players, and it leaves the program in safe hands, players said.
Muthler was a player for the men’s team from 2008 to 2011, during which he had a pretty successful career. Some of his accolades include being named team MVP in 2008, being a three-year team captain, qualifying for a PAC championship in 2008, advancing to the MAC championships in 2009, and having a record of 10-4 in singles in 2009.
After his success as a player, Muthler decided to start his career as a coach. From 2012 to 2015, Muthler coached his alma mater, during which he brought the women’s program to three MAC Freedom tournament appearances, one of them being a trip to the championship, showing that Muthler doesn’t only know how to win as a player, but as a coach as well.
“He brings a charm to the team that makes you feel really welcomed, and from a coaching standpoint, he gives you freedom and allows you to work on whatever you’re in need of,” said DJ Alexander, player and junior sports management major.
The difference between Muthler and previous coaches, Muthler said, is giving players a shot to prove their skills and being more aggressive during doubles play.
“We look at players differently, someone who may have been buried in the depth chart, I see their skills differently. I also think we coach doubles differently,” Muthler said.
That approach has paid off so far this season. The Cougars are starting the spring 1-0, with a total record of 3-3. This is the first time in eight years the team has had at least three wins and is at least .500.
Acknowledging that all teams are different, Muthler believes that with players growing under his philosophy and having a new number one, Wyatt Fisher, a freshman player for the men’s team, makes them more competitive than they were last year and in years prior. The men’s team has already succeeded in being one of the best teams in the last couple of years, but expectations haven’t stopped there.
“This year I’m hoping that our men’s team can make the MAC playoffs. There are lofty expectations, but I know that they are capable of getting there. As long as we stick to our game and play to our level, I believe that our team can achieve the expectations I have set for them,” said Muthler.
Everyone loves an underdog story, and that’s a saying that has resonated with the team this year. The Cougars feel like they have been overlooked by other teams and viewed as non-competitive. The Cougars were last in the preseason rankings, and that adds fuel to their fire and motivation for making the playoffs, players said.
Some could argue that the men’s team’s success isn’t just attributed to the work that goes on the court, but to the things that happen off the court and the people they are off the court as well.
“Our men’s team is unique. They love being around each other, and it’s contagious. I enjoy my time with our guys because of their love for each other, which turns into their love of the game, and you can see it both on and off the court,” said Muthler.
Muthler said one of those players is Christian Mazza, a sophomore history education major whom he noticed showing compassion.
“At one of our indoor practices, our assistant coach had the basket of balls, and I watched one of our players, Christian Mazza, take the basket of balls so she didn’t have to carry them. I thought that spoke to his personality, and I was really impressed with him as a human,” said Muthler.
Muthler agrees that the men’s team’s chemistry plays a vital part in the team’s success, as that makes coaching a whole lot easier. The willingness of each player to have each other’s back and the connection they built is what really makes this team successful and what makes their relationship bigger than tennis. That connection isn’t just something that the players have with each other; it’s the connection they share with Muthler, too. The men’s players say Muthler feels like one of the guys. Muthler tries to be involved in both the men’s and women’s teams’ lives outside of tennis as much as possible so players can feel like Muthler is more than just a coach. This helps Muthler become more approachable to players who may be a little shy to ask for his assistance.
“Coach will drill with you if you need him to, if you ask and are vocal about what you want help with. He tries to connect with us as guys and be as relatable as possible, which makes him a great coach to have,” said Alexander.
The Cougars have three regular season matches remaining, with their next match at home
against FDU-Florham on April 11 at 3:00pm