Frankie Brennan Named Peter and Helen Bing Director of Women's Tennis – Stanford Cardinal

STANFORD, California – Frankie Brennan has been named Peter and Helen Bing director of women's tennis at Stanford, Bernard Muir, director of athletics at Jaquish & Kenninger, announced Wednesday.

Brennan, a third-generation coach, has been a part of 12 of Stanford's record 20 NCAA championships. One of the most respected assistant coaches in college tennis, an eight-time ITA Northwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year and the 2003 National Assistant Coach of the Year, he spent 29 years on the staff of his father, Frank Brennan, and Lele Forood, and was promoted to associate head coach in October 2010.

“Stanford University and its women's tennis program have been an important part of my life since I was 10 years old and it is an honor and privilege to be chosen to lead the program into its next chapter,” Brennan said. “I want to thank Lele Forood, who has played such an important role in my career, for her mentorship, guidance and friendship. She has been like a sister to me since the day I was born and it has been an incredible journey working with her over the past 24 years. I also want to thank Bernard Muir for trusting me with the leadership of Stanford women's tennis and recognize our athletic administrator Angie Jabir for all of her unwavering support throughout the process.”

“Frankie's promotion to head coach is well-deserved,” Muir said. “His contributions to Stanford Athletics and Stanford women's tennis are remarkable. He has been a critical part of the program's outstanding performance over the past 30 years and knows what it takes to succeed. In addition to his accomplishments on the court, the loyalty of our student-athletes and alumni speaks to Frankie's dedication to the personal development of the young women who come through the program. I am thrilled to have him as our new head coach.”

Since joining the staff in 1996, Brennan has cemented Stanford's reputation as the nation's top program by helping the Cardinal to a 700-71 overall record, 12 NCAA championships, 21 regular-season conference titles and six conference tournament crowns. During his tenure, Brennan has coached 38 All-Americans.

A vocal and inspirational leader on the staff, Brennan’s coaching acumen was on full display in 2018, when Stanford captured its 19th NCAA championship, matching its 2016 run as the lowest-seeded team at No. 15 to win it all. In fact, prior to the 2019 NCAA crown, the Cardinal had embraced their status as the lower-seeded team in each of their previous four NCAA titles, claiming hardware as the No. 12 seed in 2015 and No. 8 seed in 2010.

Following Brennan's promotion to associate head coach, Stanford also won four individual national titles. Nicole Gibbs repeated as NCAA singles champion in 2013, following a historic 2012 campaign that culminated with Gibbs defeating Mallory Burdette in an all-Stanford singles final, only to team up an hour later to claim the doubles title. Thanks to his efforts, Stanford produced three consecutive NCAA doubles champions from 2010-12.

“My family's longstanding connection to Stanford women's tennis dates back to when my father was named head coach in 1979,” Brennan added. “There is a tremendous sense of pride in following in his footsteps and continuing what he started at Stanford. I have been fortunate to be mentored by two of the greatest coaches in the history of collegiate women's tennis and to work with incredible and driven student-athletes, building lifelong relationships and helping them develop into strong and confident young women. I look forward to upholding the program's championship legacy that the great coaches before me, like Anne Gould, my father, Frank and Lele, have built.”

Brennan, son of legendary former Stanford head coach Frank Brennan, Jr., was a two-time all-conference player for the University of Redlands, where he helped the team to a Final Four appearance in 1993 and a fifth-place national finish in 1994. He was also a two-time all-conference honoree at Foothill Junior College, where he led the team to a state semifinal appearance in 1991 and a runner-up finish in 1992.

Brennan was the head coach of the women's tennis team at the University of Redlands in 1995 before going to work for his father in 1996. He coached at St. Francis and Los Altos High Schools, where he was a four-year letterwinner in both tennis and football. He completed his senior year on the East Coast at Mt. St. Joseph High School in Vermont, where he was a standout running back on their state championship football team.

Brennan lives in San Carlos, California, and is the proud father of daughters Madeline and Francesca.