Bio entering 2022-23 season
After five seasons as an assistant in which he helped lead San Diego State men's tennis into the national spotlight while earning a pair of regional assistant coach of the year awards, Gene Carswell enters his 20th season as SDSU's head coach in 2022-23.
During his tenure, Carswell has led the Aztecs to four Mountain West regular-season championships and one conference tournament title to go with a pair of NCAA tournament berths in 2005 and 2015. Individually, the San Diego native has coached four MW Player of the Year winners and two league Freshman of the Year recipients, while his players have garnered 36 all-Mountain West singles accolades and 18 all-conference doubles honors.
Brought in senior Joe Tyler, who led the Scarlet and Black with 14 singles wins and garnered All-Mountain West recognition as both a singles and doubles player in 2021-22. Maintained greatness as Johannes Seeman and Victor Castro earned All-Conference accolades in singles and doubles, respectively, for the second consecutive season. Off the court, Jules Auffray and Roni Rikkonen excelled in the classroom and were named to the Academic All-Mountain West team.
Despite a shorthanded roster that was ravaged by graduation from the previous year as well as the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, two SDSU newcomers blossomed under Carswell’s guidance during the abbreviated 2021 season, as Johannes Seeman earned all-Mountain West singles honors and combined with Victor Castro to merit all-league distinction in doubles.
Earlier in the spring, Seeman earned a high ranking of No. 123 in the ITA singles poll for two weeks before receiving MW Player of the Week recognition for the first time in his career following the Aztecs’ 4-3 triumph over UNLV in their final league match of the year.
In addition, San Diego State continued its tradition of classroom success, as four players earned a spot on the MW all-academic team.
Under Carswell's direction, three players received all-MW recognition during the shortened 2020 campaign, including the doubles team of Rafael Gonzalez Almazan and Ignacio Martinez, while Fabian Roensdorf was honored in singles. He also oversaw the development of David Hough, who led the team with a career-high 12 victories in singles.
Not to be outdone, the Aztecs excelled in the classroom, as a program-record seven individuals received MW all-academic recognition, while collectively the squad posted the highest team GPA out of all San Diego State men's sports for the third straight semester in the spring.
With Carswell at the controls in 2019, the Aztecs posted their first winning season in four years, finishing with a 15-10 record while earning a No. 74 ranking in the final ITA poll of the campaign. SDSU also advanced to fhe finals of the MW Championship for the first time since 2010 with a thrilling upset over top-seeded New Mexico in the semifinals, marking the third straight season in which the Scarlet and Black has ousted the Lobos in the conference tournament.
Earlier in the year, Carswell recorded his 200th career dual-match victory after the Aztecs knocked off Portland, 5-2, in a neutral-site encounter on Feb. 23, 2019.
Individually, he aided the development of senior Sander Gjoels-Andersen, who garnered all-MW honors in singles as well as all-conference accolades in doubles along with Ignacio Martinez. Following the season, Carswell's charges were rewarded for the performance in the classroom, as six players collected MW all-academic certificates.
Under Carswell's tutelage, Arnaud Restifo received all-Mountain West singles recognition in 2018, while Gjoels-Andersen and Rafael Gonzalez Almazan combined to merit all-conference distinction in doubles. With seven underclassmen on the roster, SDSU once again endured a challenging schedule, highlighted by a thrilling victory over 28th-ranked San Diego, which advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
In 2017, Carswell coached a pair of all-MW performers in Marko Goles-Babic and Milen Ianakiev, who also joined forces to collect all-conference honors in doubles. Earlier, the SDSU duo was ranked as high as No. 51 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Facing a difficult slate that included seven nationally ranked teams, the Aztecs registered a modest 10-15 record, but still tied for third in conference play with a 4-3 ledger. The Scarlet and Black played well down the stretch, overcoming an uncharacteristic mid-season slump to win five straight dual matches, including a victory over New Mexico in the quarterfinals of the MW Championship.
In 2016, San Diego State took third in the conference race with a 5-2 mark, finishing with a 11-14 record overall. The Aztecs picked up four all-conference honors, as Freddy Gelbrich, who was ranked as high as No. 53 during the year, and Hendrik Jebens each earned their second straight all-Mountain West singles certificates, while Ianakiev and Santiago Cevallos landed on the all-MW doubles team.
The 2015 season saw San Diego State produce one of its finest campaigns in recent years, finishing 19-9 and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003. Earning an at-large tournament bid after spending the final nine weeks of the regular season nationally ranked, SDSU topped No. 21 USD. Individually, redshirt junior Freddy Gelbrich was named the co-Mountain West Player of the Year, the Aztecs' second such honoree since 2012, and Hendrik Jebens joined Gelbrich on the all-singles team, while the duo also earned all-doubles team recognition.
In the 2014 spring season, Carswell guided SDSU to a 12-12 overall record and an appearance in the MW tournament semifinals. In addition, junior Thorsten Bertsch was named all-MW in singles play for the third-straight season, while he and senior Hunter Nicholas earned all-conference doubles honors for the second-consecutive year. San Diego State also won 12-consecutive regular-season conference matches from 2012-14.
Thanks to much of the team's success on the court, as the Aztecs went a perfect 6-0 in MW play during the regular season, Carswell earned league coach of the year honors in 2013. From 2005-07, he led SDSU to an unblemished 17-0 conference mark and three straight regular season crowns en route to three-straight coach of the year awards. Carswell is one of two MW head coaches to have earned the award at least three times.
Carswell had been an invaluable part of the program before taking over the helm in 2003. San Diego State has been a frequent recipient of Mountain West titles under Carswell. The Aztecs captured the MW regular-season crown in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2013. San Diego State has also reached the conference tournament final four times, winning in 2005.
As an assistant, he teamed with then-head coach John Nelson to lead the Aztec program to the second round of the NCAA Tournament during the 2002-03 season. That appearance marked the fifth time in a six-year span that the Aztecs had went to the NCAA Tournament, including a showing in the round of 16 in 2000.
In addition, Carswell has been a catalyst in the building of All-America players like Alex Waske, Oliver Maiberger, Ryan Redondo, Markus Dickhardt and Benedikt Stronk.
In his five seasons as an assistant coach from 1998-2003, the Aztec program reached unparalleled heights, posting an 80-44 (64.5 percent) record while playing one of the nation's most difficult schedules
After advancing to the NCAA Tournament just one time in the program's history before his arrival, SDSU has been a frequent visitor to the sport's center stage. Between 1998 and 2003, the Aztecs reached at least the second round of the NCAA Championships on five occasions.
Carswell attended Mt. Carmel High School and was a member of the Sun Devils' 1989 CIF championship tennis team. He then went on to the University of New Mexico, where he was named the 1990 Western Athletic Conference rookie of the year. A three-time all-WAC selection, Carswell helped lead New Mexico to three NCAA Tournament appearances. Individually, Carswell participated in the NCAA in indoor singles (1992) and doubles (1992 and 1993).
Carswell held an ATP world ranking for five consecutive years from 1992 through 1996. He is a four-time open division national champion.
Prior to joining San Diego State, Carswell coached the boys' tennis team at Poway High School in 1997 and 1998, leading the Titans to the '98 CIF finals.
Carswell is married to the former Lainie Spence and has three children, Spence, Duncan and Jori. The Carswells reside in La Jolla.