Assumption University

Cris Popa will be entering his fourth season as Men's and Women's Tennis Head Coach in the fall of 2025.

In 2024, Assumption University men's and women's tennis continued their success. The men's team featured four players with All-Conference honors. The women's team had six different players earn All-Conference honors, and saw Caroline Mäder earn the NE10 Sports Excellence Award for women's tennis. 

COACHING CAREER

• Head Coach at Assumption University
  • One Northeast-10 Conference Rookies of the Year
    • Caroline Mader (2023-24)
• Head Coach at Nichols College
  • Led men's tennis program to capture ninth Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship in last ten seasons, also secured a First Round victory in the NCAA Tournament
  • Tabbed CCC Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his career
  • Led Bison women to 11 wins and advanced to the CCC Semifinals
• Head Coach at Eastern Nazarene College
  • Named CCC Men's Tennis Coach of the Year on four occasions (2006, 2012, 2017-18) during 17 seasons at the helm of the men's program
  • Lions captured the 2019 Greater Northeast Athletic Conference Championship while also recording a First Round victory in the NCAA tournament.
  • Guided the women's tennis program for 13 seasons (2007-16; 2017-19)
  • Lions captured the 2019 GNAC Championship with a 5-4 win over Johnston & Wales (RI)

PERSONAL LIFE

• Popa was the Tennis Program Manager of the YMCA Tennis Program in Quincy, Mass, for ten years. 
• Earned Bachelor of Arts Degree from Eastern Nazarene College