Mitch Vechione has been hired as head coach for the Lakeland University men's and women's tennis programs, director of athletics Dan Artamenko has announced.
Vechione will handle all aspects of coaching both the men's and women's programs, including recruiting, coaching, and also building relationships within the local tennis community. He will be the first full-time coach at Lakeland dedicated to the tennis programs in more than 85 years of the school participating in the sport on the intercollegiate level.
"I am excited to announce the hiring of Mitch Vechione as Lakeland's first full-time head coach of the tennis programs," said Artamenko. "I strongly believe that tennis can be very successful here and Coach Vechione will bring an energy and excitement to the future of the Muskies."
Vechione comes to Lakeland with head coaching experience at the collegiate level and also as an instructor. The native of El Paso, Texas, recently was the head men's and women's tennis coach at Weatherford College in Texas, where he took over the women's tennis program upon arrival in 2022 and also presided over the launch of a men's tennis program a year later.
Vechione also was the head tennis coach at Seward County Community College in Kansas for two years from 2020-22, where he worked under Artamenko. He led the Saints to the 2022 NJCAA men's tennis national championship, and that same year the Seward women's team finished third in the national championships.
"I'm beyond grateful for this opportunity to work at Lakeland University," said Vechione. "To be able to work under Dan again is a dream come true. I can't wait to get on campus and get to work. Go Muskies!"
Vechione also was previously the head coach at New Mexico Military Institute. Besides coaching positions, he also has served as an instructor for a number of years, providing private lessons and also working for several private facilities and clubs, teaching children and adults at a variety of skill levels.
Vechione played tennis collegiately at Texas A&M University at Texarkana, where he was a team captain, and at Southwestern Christian University in Bethany, Okla. He also was a co-team captain at SCU and received the NAIA Student-Athlete of Character award from the national governing body in 2018.
Vechione received his bachelor's degree in business administration with a minor in biblical literacy from Southwestern Christian in 2017. He also received his associate's degree in general studies from Seminole State College in Seminole, Okla., in 2014.
