For former Michigan State University Men’s Tennis Coach Harry Jadun, who led one of the most successful eras in Spartan Men’s Tennis history, the lessons that have shaped his career extend far beyond the tennis court.
During his four seasons as head coach, Jadun’s teams compiled a 70-40 (.636) record, including 32-12 (.727) in Big Ten play. Both winning percentages are the best in Spartan history for any coach with a tenure longer than one season. Jadun’s coaching career culminated with a historic 2025-26 season that saw the Spartans win both the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles for the first time since 1967 and only the second time in program history.
Jadun was named 2026 Big Ten Coach of the Year, marking just the second time in conference history that the award was been presented to a Spartan. One of his players also was named Big Ten Player of the Year.
Yet some of the skills Jadun credits most for his success were developed not through athletics, but in the classrooms of Michigan State University’s College of Arts & Letters, where he discovered a passion for literature, writing, and critical analysis within the Department of English.
“I really enjoyed my time as an English major,” he said. “It sparked a lot of analysis of writing and communication and reading between the lines of books.”
As an English major, Jadun immersed himself in courses that matched his interests. Among his favorites were classes exploring the legend of Robin Hood, Shakespeare’s works, and literature spanning the medieval period through contemporary film.
“English is a really good degree because there’s no set career path, but the skills you learn apply to every career path.”
The skills he developed as a student continue to shape his professional life and helped influence both his coaching philosophy and his approach to leadership.
“I used those skills every single day as a coach, whether it was communicating with my players or educating them about tennis,” Jadun said. “English is a really good degree because there’s no set career path, but the skills you learn apply to every career path.”
Jadun also excelled as a student-athlete. He was a four-year Spartan letterwinner with the Men’s Tennis Team, from 2011-2015. He was part of the first MSU doubles team to earn All-America honors and helped advance the Spartans to the semifinals of the 2015 NCAA Championships. During his sophomore season in 2012-2013, Jadun helped the Spartans to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
After graduation, he remained involved with the sport, serving as an assistant coach before briefly joining the coaching staff at the University of Illinois. In 2022, he returned to East Lansing as head coach of the program he once captained.
In 2023-2024, with Jadun as head coach Michigan State set a school record with 23 victories, earning a team berth in the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in school history. The Spartans made a return trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2024-2025.
During the 2025-2026 season, the Spartans collected 10 straight conference victories, including MSU’s first win over Ohio State since 1999, handing the Buckeyes their first Big Ten home loss since 2003. MSU finished conference action with a 12-1 mark, earning a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. Entering as the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, the Spartans captured another championship, capped by a 4-3 win over Ohio State in the title match. MSU went on to appear in the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year. The team finished the 2025-2026 season 19-9 overall and with a No. 16 national ranking.
Following the 2025-2026 season, Jadun stepped away from coaching to pursue new professional opportunities beyond tennis.
“An English degree teaches you how to think and how to process the nuances and complexities of the world. My degree from the College of Arts & Letters really prepared me for that.”
“This university and the Spartan Tennis program has given myself and my family so much since my time growing up in East Lansing. As an alum, student-athlete, and coach, I have learned so many valuable lessons and developed relationships here at Michigan State that I will continue to cherish for the rest of my life,” Jadun said. “This was not an easy decision, as this program means the world to me, but I am so excited for the future of Spartan Tennis and proud of what we have built together…To my student-athletes, who gave their all each and every day, and accomplished more than anyone believed was possible, it’s been the honor of a lifetime to be your coach.”
Jadun’s decision to step down reflects one of the same lessons he often shared with his student-athletes.
“I believe the best tennis players and the best athletes in the world are well-rounded,” he said. “Having something outside of it, whether it’s playing music, or it’s a class that you take, or your hobby is reading, whatever it is, having that thing to go to, to kind of separate yourself in a results-based field, is really important for them and their identity and their self-esteem and self-worth. You can’t think you’re the best when you win and the worst when you lose because it’s just going to be not great for your mental health. You’ve got to have that stability and an interest outside of tennis. You’ve got to be well-rounded.”
For Jadun, his education in the arts and humanities provided that broader perspective. The communication, critical-thinking, and analytical skills he developed as an English major not only helped him build a championship tennis program but also prepared him to pursue opportunities beyond coaching.
“An English degree teaches you how to think and how to process the nuances and complexities of the world,” he said. “My degree from the College of Arts & Letters really prepared me for that. I would highly recommend it for anybody who’s considering it.”
By Colleen Gehoski Steinman and Kim Popiolek
