Head coach Mat Iandolo is in his 16th year at the helm of the Boilermaker women[apos]s tennis program. After inheriting a program that was on the decline, Iandolo has elevated Purdue in the Big Ten Conference standings and onto the national scene.
In his tenure at Purdue, Iandolo has taken a team that had finished no higher than sixth in the Big Ten since 1983 and turned it into a national contender.
Iandolo has rebuilt the Boilermaker program from the ground up. Purdue totaled just nine wins in Iandolo's first three seasons, but made a major turnaround in 1995, winning 14 overall matches and six Big Ten contests en route to a fourth-place conference finish; Purdue's previous highest finish was fifth in 1982.
Purdue reached 14 overall wins and six Big Ten victories again in 1996. The Boilermakers' success in Iandolo's fifth campaign was rewarded with the program's first-ever NCAA Championships bid.
Two years later, the Boilermakers enjoyed their most successful year under Iandolo, winning 14 overall matches while posting a program-best 8-2 Big Ten record for a second-place regular-season finish. During the 1998 spring season, Purdue collected two upsets over top 30-ranked opponents, won its first matches against Northwestern and Indiana, and earned a final national ranking of 44th. For his efforts in that memorable season, Iandolo garnered Big Ten Coach of the Year honors.
Iandolo guided the Boilermakers to another winning campaign and yet another NCAA Championships appearance in 2003. Iandolo again was honored for his work in leading Purdue to a 6-4 Big Ten record, as he received co-Big Ten Coach of the Year recognition at season[apos]s end. In 2004, Iandolo led Purdue to another double-digit victory season while introducing outstanding freshmen Alyssa Rodriguez and Hala Sufi into the lineup. The fantastic freshmen, two of Iandolo's most heralded recruits, combined to win 82 singles and doubles matches in their first campaign as Boilermakers.
Over the last two seasons, Iandolo has directed Purdue to double-digit win totals and consecutive finishes in the upper half of the Big Ten standings. The 2006 Boilermakers beat seven ranked teams, including No. 17 Harvard in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Purdue's win over the Crimson marked its first NCAA Tournament victory.
Also in 2006, two of Iandolo's freshmen, Randi Schuler and Mallory Voelker, cracked the ITA national rankings. Schuler reached a personal high of 54 in January while Voelker was listed among the top 100 collegiate players in April.
During his tenure, Iandolo has coached seven All-Big Ten players who have received conference honors 11 times, most recently Randi Schuler in 2006. Prize recruits Mary Beth Maggart and Jennifer Embry both earned All-Big Ten honors three times. Embry, now a success on the pro circuit, also was named 2000 ITA Midwest Senior Player of the Year. The four other Boilermakers to earn all-conference accolades under Iandolo[apos]s tutelage are Shannon Taheny (2000), Gretchen Haynor (2002), Melissa Iqbal (2002) and Hala Sufi (2005).
Dedicated to success on the court and in the classroom, Iandolo's players have collected Academic All-Big Ten laurels 62 times. Five of his teams since 1999 have received ITA All-Academic recognition.
Prior to accepting the position at Purdue in July 1991, Iandolo worked as an assistant tennis coach at Kentucky (1991), UCLA (1986-87), California (1985-86), San Diego State (1983-85), and Weber State (1982-83). Before joining the staff at Kentucky, Iandolo was a tennis professional at Four Lakes Athletic Club in Lisle, Ill., where he was a personal coach to seven nationally ranked junior tennis players and two world-ranked women[apos]s professionals.
Iandolo achieved honors as a junior college player at San Diego City College, garnering All-Mission Conference plaudits in 1979. After transferring to Weber State in 1980, he led the Wildcats to three Big Sky Conference titles and served as team captain his senior year.
After earning a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1983, Iandolo competed on the USTA Satellite Tour.