Mark Wesselink.  Coming from his native Iowa, Mark Wesselink and his wife, Shanan, moved to Richmond in 1989, when he began 34 memorable years as the women’s tennis coach for the University of Richmond Spiders. Respected as a father figure by many of his players and renowned for his daily gratitude, he coached UR to a 429-296 record, nine Atlantic 10 Conference championships, eight second-place finishes, and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances. He was named the conference Coach of the Year eight times.

Wesselink grew up in Pella, Iowa, where he learned to play tennis. His first coaching job was with Drake University in Des Moines, where he led the Bulldogs to a 60-24 mark from 1983-86. He then became an assistant at Harvard from 1986-88, helping the Crimson to NCAA Tournament appearances.

In 2020, he was recognized by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association for being among the top 50 coaches in all-time victories and for being among the top 50 active coaches in triumphs and winning percentage.

For over 30 years, he directed and contributed to summer tennis camps open to Richmond’s junior players and, from 2018-2020, helped support the Sportables’ adaptive tennis program. He was involved in the RTA’s winter junior development program in the 1990s and supported the thriving Richmond tennis community, including the 1994 McEnroe/Connors exhibition match at UR.

Wesselink retired as the head coach after 2022 and served as an assistant for the next two seasons. He died of cancer in July 2024, mourned especially in the Richmond tennis community and around UR, where he is enshrined in the university’s hall of fame. His legacy lives through Shanan and their children, Isaak and Paige, and his former players and friends.

Shanan called Mark “movie-star good-looking” and said, “He was a great listener, and he understood what people need and was a great communicator. He had that magnetism, he had that quiet leadership. He just knew how to bring people out. He met you where you were(and was) very non-judgmental.”

“Mark’s impact on our University, the Spider women’s tennis program and its student-athletes is immeasurable,” Vice President and Director of Athletics John Hardt said upon Wesselink’s death.”For more than 30 years, his teams were a reflection of him: honorable, hard-working, and tremendously successful.”