College of Saint Benedict

Years at CSB: Six

After a year cut short by COVID, the College of Saint Benedict tennis team was grateful for each and every opportunity to compete in 2020-21, and in 2021-22, head coach Michael Engdahl looks to use that experience gained and translate it into wins for the Bennies.

In 2019-20, Engdahl - who enters his sixth season with the team in 2020-21 - helped guide CSB to a 7-1 start to the season before it was canceled due to the pandemic. The Bennies beat St. Thomas for the first time since 2012, picked up a win over Division II Bemidji State and sent Lily Fredericks to day two of the championship bracket at the ITA Midwest Regionals – a first for CSB tennis in at least a decade.

In 2020-21, Saint Benedict started the season with a 7-2 win over Mankato State – a Division II opponent – before finishing the year 4-8 overall and 2-7 in the MIAC. First year Peyton Kopel finished with a team-best seven wins in singles play, and sophomore Maria Bedford went 7-4 in doubles play – mostly with Grace Lee – to pace the squad.

In five seasons at the helm, Engdahl has coached five MIAC Athletes of the Week and is 42-40 overall and 12-28 in the conference.

Engdahl, a St. Cloud native, joined the CSB tennis program prior to the 2016-17 season after working at the Division I level in South Dakota for seven years. After serving as an assistant men’s and women’s tennis coach at South Dakota State University from 2009-11, Engdahl was hired as the head coach for both programs, and he served in that role for five seasons.

While at SDSU, Engdahl took both programs from single-digit wins to conference contenders. In 2011, the SDSU women recorded just five wins, but, under Engdahl’s guidance, they won 16 matches in 2013 and 18 in 2014. Engdahl helped lead the Jackrabbit women to their first-ever postseason wins, and the program reached the Summit League finals in 2015 and again in 2016.

On the men’s side, Engdahl took a team that won seven matches in 2012 and pushed that total to 12 wins in 2013 and 16 in 2014. While at SDSU, Engdahl was named Summit League Coach of the Year in 2013 and 2014.

As well as coaching at the collegiate level, Engdahl also owned and operated the Michael Engdahl Tennis Academy from 2006-11 and served as the head tennis instructor/director at the St. Cloud Country Club from 2005-11.

Engdahl graduated from St. Cloud Technical High School in 2008 and played one year of varsity tennis at St. Cloud State University, where he made it to the NCAA Division II National Tennis Tournament. After one season, Engdahl transferred to South Dakota State where he played No. 1 singles and doubles for the Jackrabbit tennis team.

He and his wife, Carrie, live in St. Cloud with their son and daughter.