Mike Merbaum begins his ninth season as a sports psychology consultant for the Washington University in St. Louis men's tennis team.
While assisting head coach Roger Follmer the past eight seasons, WashU has posted three 20-win seasons and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals seven times. In 2013-14, the Bears won their first-ever ITA National Indoor Tennis Team title.
In his first season in 2012-13, WashU compiled a 20-7 overall record and advanced to the NCAA Semifinals for the sixth-straight season. The Bears also captured their second University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship with a 5-4 win over No. 3 ranked Emory, April 28, 2013, earning Merbaum a spot on the 2013 UAA Coaching Staff of the Year.
The Bears posted a 21-3 mark in 2013-14 and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals, and then recorded a school-record 22-6 mark in 2014-15 and advanced to the semifinals for the seventh time in the last eight seasons. WashU also advanced to the quarterfinals in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Merbaum played four seasons of collegiate tennis at Drake University, posting a 35-8 record. He was captain of the 1955-56 team. Merbaum graduated from Drake in 1956, and earned his PhD from the University of North Carolina in 1961.
A native of Mt. Vernon, N.Y., Merbaum enters his 43rd year as a professor of psychology at Washington University.
Updated May 12, 2020
