Roger Follmer has established WashU into one of the premier men's tennis programs in NCAA Division III. Follmer, who has a 420-162 (.722) overall record in 25 seasons on the Danforth Campus, guided WashU to the national championship in 2008.
Follmer, the 2006 and 2009 ITA/Wilson Division III National Coach of the Year, has mentored 57 All-Americans to date – Brian Alvo (2002, 2004), Jeremy Bush (2014, 2015) Charlie Cutler (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009), Jason Haugen (2018), Ethan Hillis (2019, 2020, 2021), Chris Hoeland (2007, 2008, 2009), Konrad Kozlowski (2018, 2019), Neil Kenner (2003), Bernardo Neves (2018, 2019), Ari Rosenthal (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006), Adam Putterman (2012, 2013), Ross Putterman (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), Isaac Stein (2010, 2011), John Watts (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010), Max Woods (2010, 2011), Johnny Wu (2018), Scott Altmeyer (2021), Daniel Li (2022), Abhi Ramireddy (2021, 2022, 2023), Phuc Huyhn (2023), Colin Scruggs (2025), Pato Garcia Muriel (2025), and Stefan Hester (2025)
Watts, who placed second at the NCAA Singles Championship in 2007, captured WashU's first men's tennis individual national championship in 2010. He also won the Division III Wilson/ITA National Small College Singles Title in 2007 and 2009. Watts finished his career as the all-time wins leader with a 238-43 career mark. Adam Putterman capped his career by winning the 2013 NCAA Division III Singles National Championship, joining Watts as the two national champions in school history.
Follmer has guided the Bears to the NCAA semifinals eight times, recording one first-place and two third-place finishes. In addition, he has led WashU to three University Athletic Association (UAA) titles – 2009, 2013, 2014.
Follmer led WashU to three-straight 20-win seasons from 2013-15, including a school-record 22-6 mark in 2014-15 and a third-place finish at the NCAA Championship. in 2012-13, the Bears posted a 20-7 record, and advanced to the to the NCAA Division III semifinals for the sixth-straight season. The Bears also captured their second UAA Championship in school history with a 5-4 win over No. 3 ranked Emory University April 28. Follmer was also named the UAA Coaching Staff of the year for the third time.
The Bears completed one of the best seasons in school history with a fourth-place finish at the 2009 NCAA Division III Championship. WU set a new single-season record for wins with a 22-4 overall record, and they posted a school-record 19-match winning streak. WashU also captured its first UAA Championship with a 5-4 win over Emory.
In addition to third-place finishes in 2011 and 2015 and fourth-place finishes in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013, the Bears advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2003, 2004, 2007, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
In the 2008 NCAA Championship season, Follmer guided WashU to a 21-4 overall mark and a second place finish at the UAA championship. The Bears rebounded from a loss to Emory in the UAA championship with a 5-3 victory over the Eagles on May 15 in Lewiston, Maine, claiming their first-ever national championship.
In 2006-07, the Bears posted a 20-5 overall mark and appeared in the NCAA Quarterfinals for the fourth time in school history. In 2005-06, Follmer guided the Bears to an 18-3 overall mark and a second-place finish at the UAA Championship.
In 2014, the Bears won their first-ever ITA National Indoor Tennis Team title, and in the spring went on to repeat as UAA Champions and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals.
In 2021, WashU reached the NCAA semifinals for the first time since 2015.
Off the court, Follmer’s players have also been getting the job done in the classroom. For the 2020-21 school year, the Bears boasted a 3.81 team grade-point average - the highest in the athletic department - to earn 2021 ITA All-Academic Team honors.
Follmer arrived on the Danforth Campus from the United States Naval Academy, where he served as the men’s tennis assistant coach for two seasons. During his tenure in Annapolis, he helped guide the Midshipmen to a pair of 18-11 seasons and back-to-back appearances in the Patriot League Tournament final. Navy also earned its first national team ranking in February 2000.
Prior to his work at the Naval Academy, Follmer spent three seasons as the assistant coach at Purdue University. Working with 1996 Big Ten Coach of the Year Tim Madden, Follmer helped bring the Boilermakers from last place in the Big Ten to a No. 38 national ranking and an appearance in the final of the 1999 Big Ten Championship.
A 1991 graduate of Lindbergh High School in St. Louis, Follmer was a two-year tennis letterman and senior captain at Purdue University. He graduated in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and audiology and earned his master’s degree in special education, also from Purdue, in 1999.
Follmer also served as head coach of the World Team Tennis St. Louis Aces for the 2009 season. He led a team that consisted of Kim Clijsters, Liga Dekmeijere, Mislav Hizak, Anna Kournikova, Tripp Phillips, Sam Querrey and Ashley Weinhold to a 5-9 record.
Follmer married Tricia Merlo in 2014 at the Whittemore House on the Danforth Campus. They have a daughter, Lauren.
