David Geatz was named the University of Pennsylvania's Albert G. Molloy Head Coach of Men’s Tennis in June of 2011.
2021-22 was a historic season for the Quakers, as several notable firsts were achieved. The Red and Blue made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history and Edoardo Graziani became the first Ivy League Player of the Year in program history; Graziani's year-end #39 ranking by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) marked the highest such ranking in program history. Geatz led the Quakers to a 19-5 record during the regular season and 6-1 mark in Ivy play, including the program's first victory over Columbia since 2006.
Despite a shortened 2019-20 season due to a nationwide outbreak of coronavirus COVID-19, Geatz was able to lead the Quakers to several impressive results. Kevin Zhu reached a season-high ranking of #88 in the country and reached the semifinals of the ITA Northeast Regional hosted at Penn. Facing a daunting non-conference schedule that included three top-25 opponents, the Quakers earned three shutout victories in 14 matches.
The 2018-19 season added to the extensive history of the Quakers program. Led by Geatz, the Quakers took home the 2019 ECAC Championship by defeating Cornell, Dartmouth and Harvard. The win was the program's first championship since 2006-07 and propelled the Quakers to a program-high mark of #23 in the nation. The Quakers notched 18 wins, for the most in a single season since 2005-06 (22).
Geatz led the Quakers to a three-win improvement in the Ivy League in 2016, as well as a jump from eighth place to fifth in the Ancient Eight standings. In addition, the Red and Blue played one of the toughest schedules in program history, taking on a total of 16 ranked opponents. The Quakers tallied notable wins over No. 41 Dartmouth, No. 53 Princeton, and No. 68 New Mexico. Individually, Kyle Mautner became the Quakers’ first All-Ivy (first team) honoree since 2012. In 2019, Mautner would go on to become the first player in program history to earn first team honors all four years with the Red and Blue.
The 2015 campaign saw the Quakers reach new heights under Coach Geatz. After beginning the season with six-straight wins, including a 5-2 victory over then-No. 16 Penn State, Penn was off to its best start to a season since 2011 (8-0). Following the win over PSU, the Red and Blue debuted on the ITA Top 75 at No. 51 and remained in the national rankings for nine straight weeks. The Quakers later earned their highest ranking in program history at No. 39, after defeating a pair of ranked opponents on the road. Freshman Josh Pompan led the team with the most wins in the spring, finishing with a record of 17-7.
Prior to arriving in University City, Geatz had already accomplished a great deal at both the college and professional levels. Most recently, he spent two years at Cornell, the first (2008-09) as head coach of men’s tennis and the second (2009-10) as head coach of both the men’s and women’s tennis programs. Geatz’s impact on the men’s program was immediate and obvious -- a perennial second-division program, the Big Red men finished sixth in the Ivy League in 2008, before his arrival. In his first year, however, Cornell went 5-2 in the Ancient Eight to finish second in the standings, behind Columbia. The Big Red then repeated the feat in 2010. Those second-place finishes marked the program’s best EITA/Ivy finishes until this past spring, when Cornell won the Ivy title for the first time.
For 18 years, from 1988-2006, Geatz was the head coach of men’s tennis at the University of Minnesota. During his tenure, the Golden Gophers won five Big Ten championships and put together a 45-match win streak in conference play (including four undefeated regular-season campaigns). Geatz was a three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year and also earned NCAA Regional Coach of the Year honors in 1994 and 2000. His teams had a streak of 12 straight NCAA Championship appearances, and he led the program to a No. 10 national ranking which was its highest ever. Individually, Geatz coached All-American Harsh Mankad to the No. 1 position nationally in singles.
In between his Minnesota and Cornell stints, Geatz spent one year as the Director of Tennis at the prestigious Hong Kong Country Club. He returned to the States for the 2007-08 collegiate season to serve as associate head coach of Ohio State men’s tennis, helping the Buckeyes to a 35-2 record, a No. 2 national ranking, and the Big Ten title. OSU advanced to the NCAA quarterfinal round that year, and finished the season ranked third in the national poll.
Geatz’s first college job was head coach of men’s tennis at his alma mater, the University of New Mexico, from 1983-88, during which he led the Lobos to a top-20 national ranking and earned Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and NCAA regional coach of the year honors.
Certified by the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA), Geatz graduated from the University of New Mexico in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in University Studies. He also holds a Master’s and a Ph.D. in Sports Administration from UNM, earning those in 1985 and 1991, respectively.
