06/03/2026
If you read the standard athletic department press release, you get the usual alphabet soup: SEC, Big Ten, Ivy League, Summit League. You get the numbers, 127 wins here, a French Open mixed doubles connection there.
But if you want to know what Eastern Kentucky University is actually getting in Tom Boysen, you have to look past the resume and look at the trajectory.
EKU Athletics Director Kyle Moats made it official on Tuesday, naming Boysen the new head coach for both the men’s and women’s tennis programs. On paper, it’s a solid, textbook hire. But in reality? It’s a coup for a department looking to build sustained, culture-driven success in Richmond.
Boysen arrives after a five-year masterclass in program building at the University of North Dakota. Now, Grand Forks in the winter isn’t exactly a tennis paradise. It takes a specific kind of grinder to win there. Boysen didn’t just win; he transformed the Fighting Hawks into a perennial Summit League heavyweight. We're talking 127 combined victories, nine conference tournament appearances, and a men's program that just rattled off back-to-back trips to the league championship match in 2025 and 2026.
That doesn't happen by accident. It happens because of a coaching philosophy forged in some of the toughest rooms in collegiate and professional tennis.
A Resume Forged in the Trenches
Consider the ground Boysen has covered before ever setting foot in the Bluegrass:
The Power Five Grind: Five seasons at Vanderbilt (2006-11), where he helped steer the Commodores to three NCAA Tournaments and a top-30 national ranking.
The Ivy League Polish: A stint at Dartmouth (2015-18) where he was named the ITA Northeast Region Assistant Coach of the Year, proving he can recruit and develop elite student-athletes who excel just as much in the classroom.
The B1G Battleground: A three-year run at Nebraska, immediately injecting life into the Cornhuskers' program.
And if you think he's just a college tactician, guess again. Boysen spent three years jet-setting on the ATP Tour as a private coach and manager. He’s shared concrete with guys like Scott Lipsky, who went on to win the 2011 French Open mixed doubles title, and Todd Widom. He knows what excellence looks like at the highest level of the sport.
Why It Matters for EKU
"He has a proven track record of success, and his experience will greatly benefit our team," Moats said Tuesday. "Most importantly, he is a high-character person who will represent EKU with class."
That last part isn’t just administration speak. In modern college athletics, where the transfer portal and shifting landscapes can tear the fabric of a program apart overnight, character is the currency that matters most. Boysen isn't just a guy who can teach a kick serve or a backhand slice; he's a guy who builds cultures. He proved it at the high school level, too, guiding Montgomery Bell Academy to back-to-back Tennessee state titles.
For his part, Boysen seems to understand exactly what he’s walking into.
"It was apparent at every phase of the interview process that EKU is a special place," Boysen said. "The vision for EKU athletics expressed by those in leadership roles and the passion with which they spoke about it resonated with me instantly."
Passion is great. Vision is necessary. But ex*****on is what wins championships.
Tom Boysen has executed everywhere he’s been—from the SEC to the frozen courts of North Dakota, from Wimbledon to high school dual matches. Now, it's Richmond's turn to see what that kind of pedigree can do. EKU tennis just got a lot more interesting.
