Suffolk Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach Counihan Announces Retirement

BOSTON – Steve Counihan, the head men's and women's tennis coach at Suffolk University, has announced his retirement effective immediately Wednesday morning. 

Counihan, a resident of Reading, Massachusetts, is one of the longest tenured coaches on Suffolk's staff having served as the head men's and women's tennis coach for a combined 15-plus years.   

"Thanks to Suffolk and all the wonderful students I was fortunate enough to coach, it was a privilege," Counihan said. "Thanks to all the staff in the athletics department for your help and guidance." 

"On behalf of the athletic department and Suffolk University, we thank Steve for all his commitment and hard work with the student-athletes," Director of Athletics Cary McConnell said. "Steve has been the consistent steady force in Suffolk's tennis programs for many years and has provided a first-class experience for our tennis student-athletes."

McConnell continued, "I know I join all his student-athletes, our staff, and coaches in wishing the very best in his retirement." 

In his tenure, Counihan guided the Rams to multiple successes, individually and as a team, on the conference and national levels, respectively. He coached Suffolk to five Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championships; four consecutive men's titles from 2009 through 2012 and and the 2007 women's crown. This year, he steered the women into a new era, as the blue-and-gold competed in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) for the first time. 

He is the only tennis coach, and one of just seven Suffolk head coaches overall, to guide one of their teams to NCAAs. He did so behind the winningest tennis team in Suffolk University history, the 2007 women's squad that compiled an unblemished 14-0 regular-season record en route to the program's first and only NCAA berth. For their perfect season, that team was enshrined into the Suffolk University Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the 2016 class.  

Suffolk has been rewarded 100-plus all-conference accolades during the Counihan era highlighted by nine GNAC Player of the Years – three men and six women – and 11 GNAC Rookie of the Years – eight men and three women. Counihan was named GNAC Coach of the Year three times by his peers in three straight seasons for the men's team from 2009 to 2011. 

Counihan's teams have not only succeeded athletically, but they have excelled in the classroom as well. Under his leadership, the Rams have been named Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Academic Team six times, which is handed out to programs that achieve a combined 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Additionally, he has mentored 26 student-athletes to 36 ITA Scholar-Athlete honors, which is given to individuals who achieve the requirement of a 3.5 GPA over the academic year.  

The Suffolk Athletics Department will begin an immediate national search to identify a successor for Counihan.