Coach Linhart begins his seventh season as Men’s Head Tennis Coach after serving two seasons as Men’s and Women’s Assistant Tennis Coach at RWC. During his six seasons at the helm, his team have amassed a 85-60 record, maiking him the winningest tennis coach in RWC history. In his first season as head coach, Linhart's Redhawks advanced to the NCCAA National Championship Tournament in Mobile, Alabama, advancing to the Semi-Final round and losing to eventual National Champion, Campbellsville University. The team finished the year with a 15-9 record including a championship in the Flower City Invitational Tournament. In his second year, the Redhawks posted a school best 19-8 record, finishing second in the East Coast Conference, and earned their fourth consecutive trip to the NCCAA National Tennis Championships in Mobile. The following year, the Redhawks again finished second in the ECC and again went to the semi finals of the NCCAA before loosing to nationally ranked Azusa Pacific. The Redhawks finished the year 15-7. As a result, Linhart was named ECC 2014 "Coach of the Year", and the Redhawks finished the year ranked # 4 in the East Region. Last season, the Redhawks finished with a 12-10 record,qualifying for ECC Conference Championships and finished ranked #8 in the NCAA East Region. The 2015-2016 campaign found the Redhawks slipping to #10 in the NCAA East Region and finishing the season with an 11-12 record.Last season, the Redhawks were 13-12 and managed to set a school record for most consecutive wins in a season. “The East coast Conference is very strong and we look forward to some great competition this year.” commented Coach Linhart. “I am thrilled to be working with such fine players and administration at Roberts." says Linhart, "I embrace and look forward to the challenges as Head Coach, and look to the continued success of the program.” In his career at Roberts Wesleyan, Linhart has coached six players who have amassed over 100 wins in their careers, three All Americans, numerous All Conference players, two Rookie of the Year players and his teams have been named Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar Teams the past two years. Two of his former players have competed on the professional circuit and have earned ATP points. Coach Linhart also has several players who have gone on to coaching careers at every NCAA level.
Prior to coming to Roberts, Coach Linhart served for five years as the Assistant Tennis Coach for the Men’s and Women’s programs at St. John Fisher College. At SJFC, Linhart coached the two most successful teams in Men’s tennis history, helping to lead them to their highest finish in Empire 8 Conference play. Linhart has also coached at Spencerport High School where he was named Division II “Coach of the Year” in 2002.
Off the court, Coach Linhart also serves in an administrative capacity as a member of the NCAA East Region Tennis Advisory Committee. A former teaching pro at the Manhattan Square Tennis Club in Rochester, he is Professional Tennis Registry certified. A 1970 graduate of Canisius College, Coach Linhart has also served as an adjunct faculty member in the SUNY Brockport and RWC Divisions of
Teacher Education.
He lives in Brockport with his wife Barbara and has three adult children and four grandchildren. Their youngest child, Tom Jr., played for Coach Linhart, was an All-Empire 8 conference performer in singles and doubles at St. John Fisher, and currently serves as the Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach at Rochester Institute of Technology.
