Michael Raymond

Michael Raymond

"Lake Forest College was the perfect place for me to continue my coaching career. I was a Division III athlete and it’s so much fun to coach in a similar environment. The College is a great community and I’m really appreciative of the relationships I’ve developed."
- Head Men's Tennis Coach Michael Raymond


Michael Raymond resigned as tennis coach and moved into an administrative position within the department in 2016 following his fifth year with the Foresters and ninth as a collegiate head coach. He led both the women's and men's programs at the College.

Lake Forest posted a 16-8 overall record and 8-1 mark in Midwest Conference play in 2016. The Foresters qualified for the four-team MWC Tournament for the third year in a row and edged out semifinal opponent Monmouth College 5-4 in dramatic frashion to reach the final for the second straight season. Dan Pivonka and Trevor Allen captured MWC titles at #1 and #2 singles, respectively, and Lake Forest players advanced to the semifinals at the MWC Individual Tournaments at six of the other seven positions in the lineup. The team claimed six MWC titles and added seven second-place finishes in Raymond's five seasons.

A pair of Foresters earned Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar-Athlete honors in 2016, giving the program 10 such honors in Raymond's five years as head coach. Lake Forest also achieved ITA All-Academic Team status for the 2012-13 academic year. In addition, three members of the team were named Academic All-MWC in 2016, raising the Foresters' total during Raymond's tenure to 17.

Raymond came to Lake Forest after serving for four years as head coach of both the men's and women's tennis teams at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut. He was also a compliance assistant for the NCAA Division I institution, which competes in the America East Conference. Raymond led the men's and women's programs to significant improvements during his tenure.

Raymond spent the previous three years as an assistant coach of both the women's and men's teams at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania. He began his collegiate coaching career with a two-year stint as a graduate assistant at Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts, his alma mater. He also has experience as an assistant tennis professional at the Ausable Club in Keene Valley, New York, and is a certified PTR teaching professional.

As a player, Raymond earned Great Northeast Athletic Conference Player of the Year Honors as a senior at Western New England University. He was also honored as Western New England's Male Scholar Athlete of the Year after leading his team to the GNAC title. As one of the top players in school history, he served as team captain and his career record of 86-26 ranks first on the program's all-time win list. In addition, he served as the vice chair of the National Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Raymond received a bachelor's degree in business administration (with a major in sport management) in 2002 and a master's in business administration from Western New England in 2004.

He resides in nearby Mundelein, Illinois, with his wife Jami and dogs Baxter and Milo.