PHILADELPHIA – Rich Bonfiglio, who most recently served as an assistant coach at national power USC, has been named the Albert G. Molloy Head Men's Tennis Coach at Penn. Bonfiglio also has experience in the Ivy League as an assistant coach at Columbia for two seasons and has been a college coach for more than a decade.
 
"Rich rose to the top of a competitive applicant pool," said Alanna Shanahan, the T. Gibbs Kane, Jr. W'69 Director of Athletics and Recreation. "He is a proven winner at the highest level and is a strong recruiter, as evidenced by his numerous nationally ranked recruiting classes. Throughout his career, he has developed strong relationships with his student-athletes both on and off the court. Our men's tennis program is coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history, and I'm confident Rich is a great fit to lead our student-athletes moving forward."
 
"I'm extremely excited to become the Head Men's Tennis Coach at Penn," Bonfiglio said. "I would like to thank Director of Athletics Alanna Shanahan, Senior Associate Athletic Director Rudy Fuller and the rest of Penn's athletic department for this amazing opportunity to work at such a prestigious academic and athletic institution. I'm looking forward to building on Penn's rich tennis tradition in the Ivy League and on the national stage. Go Quakers!"
 
Bonfiglio began his tenure at USC in 2021 and helped lead the Trojans to their 15th straight NCAA Round of 16 appearance, a third straight Pac-12 Tournament championship, and a national ranking as high as #5. He coached the Pac-12 Singles Player of the Year in Stefan Dostanic as well as the Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Year. USC posted a 23-6 overall record and 7-1 mark in the Pac-12 in 2021-22.
 
This past summer, Bonfiglio was selected as the USTA National Collegiate Coach and traveled with the top five U.S. players as a transition to the professional level.
 
From 2019-21, Bonfiglio was an assistant coach at Columbia, where he recruited the nation's #2 recruiting class before leaving for USC. In his first season, Columbia was ranked as high as seventh nationally before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His second season was also canceled due to the pandemic, but he assisted in recruiting the nation's fourth-best recruiting class. Off the court, Bonfiglio assisted with fundraising and design for a $50M tennis facility.
 
Prior to Columbia, Bonfiglio was an assistant at the University of San Diego where he helped lead the Toreros to three West Coast Conference regular-season and tournament championships from 2017-19. He mentored nine all-conference selections, including the 2019 WCC Player of the Year in Gui Osorio. San Diego reached the NCAA Round of 32 in 2018 and 2019 and was ranked 25th in the final ITA national rankings in 2019. Bonfiglio was named the ITA Southwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2018.
 
The Bronxville, N.Y. native began his coaching career as an assistant men's and women's coach at Trinity from 2011-14, helping lead both teams to national rankings. He moved on to Ithaca as an assistant coach for the men's and women's teams for one season, with the women's team capturing the Empire 8 championship. Bonfiglio then went to Amherst from 2015-17 to become an assistant men's tennis coach, helping the team reach as high as seventh in the national rankings and recruiting the top class in Division III.
 
Bonfiglio was a men's tennis student-athlete at Middlebury for two seasons, helping the Panthers reach the NCAA Division III semifinal round his freshman year. He finished his career at Trinity, earning all-conference honors and serving as a team captain his senior year. The Bantams finished in the top 20 in Division III both seasons.
 
Bonfiglio earned a bachelor's degree in public policy and law in 2011 and a master's degree in public policy in 2014 from Trinity.
 
What They Are Saying About Rich Bonfiglio
"In my 48 years of coaching and teaching I have honestly never come across a person so perfectly equipped to be a major university coach than Rich. He was a fine player and a wonderful assistant who has become possibly the best recruiter in the nation. He landed world-class players at both Columbia and USC. His time has come to take over the reins and I could not be happier for him or for Penn."
Paul Assaiante, Head Coach, Trinity College
 
"This is a very exciting time for Penn Men's Tennis with the hiring of Rich Bonfiglio. Rich will bring a tireless work ethic to all aspects of the program and a relentless approach to recruiting the top student-athletes. It is no surprise to see Rich climb the coaching ranks so quickly and have an opportunity to lead Penn Men's Tennis to new heights."
Todd Doebler, Head Coach, Amherst College
 
"This is a fantastic hire for the Quakers. Rich has had success at every program he has touched because of his drive and competitive spirit. His commitment to his players and passion for the job will give Penn the edge it needs to succeed in the Ivy League."
Ryan Keckley, Head Coach, University of San Diego
 
"Rich is one of the great up-and-coming coaches in the country. He is an exceptional recruiter who really knows how to connect with players and prospects. He is one of the hardest workers out there who will work tirelessly until he accomplishes his goal or gets the job done. Penn's student-athletes are getting a great coach, and the Ivy League better be ready."
Brett Masi, Head Coach, USC