Northwest Missourian

Issue date: 11/20/08 Section: University Sports

Media Credit: Seth Cook NORTHWEST TENNIS COACH Mark Rosewell is statistically the winningest coach in Northwest history. For his success, he was inducted into the United States Tennis Association, Heart of America District Hall of Fame. [Click to enlarge]

Mark Rosewell has spent over half his life on the tennis courts, and yesterday he was acknowledged for it.

Rosewell, the head coach of the men and women's tennis teams at Northwest for 25 years, was inducted into the United States Tennis Association, Heart of America District Hall of Fame.

"When I first learned about it, I thought, 'well that's nice,'" Rosewell said. "As I learned more about it … that's the USTA and that's a very fine organization. This is really a big deal and it really caught me by surprise because most of the time you go into the hall of fame after you retire, but I think they liked my credentials."

Rosewell's life on the college courts started in 1974 at the University of Central Missouri where he played until 1977. Throughout his three-year span as an athlete, he compiled the team's best winning percentage throughout the 1970s.

He then came back to Central Missouri to be head coach of the men and women's tennis teams from 1983-1984.

After the 1984 season, a fraternity brother, John Byrd, contacted Rosewell. Byrd had been head coach at Northwest from 1970-1984, and when he was looking to retire, he turned to Rosewell, a man he knew would continue the strong tennis tradition he created.

In 1985, Rosewell took over the head coaching position at Northwest and has kept the winning tradition Byrd started alive.

Between the men and women's team, Rosewell carries a combined record of 759-344, making him the winningest coach in Northwest history in any sport.

Under his watch, the men and women's teams have won 16 MIAA championships, another Northwest record, and made 21 appearances in the NCAA regionals.

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