Frank Polito will begin his 14th year overall with the Cleveland State women’s tennis team during 2025-26, and his eighth year as head coach.
Last season, Polito guided the Vikings to their second undefeated slate in #HLTennis regular season play, en route to capturing the Horizon League Regular Season title - the program's seventh regular season crown.
Throughout Polito’s tenure with the Vikings, he has helped guide Cleveland State to 10 #HLWTEN semifinal appearances and five championship match appearances at the Horizon League Tournament, while mentoring 15 All-League honorees - including four-time all-league honoree and two-time Horizon League Player of the Year Oihane Vicario.
During Polito’s six-month hiatus from Cleveland State (February 2014-July 2014), he served as the head boys and girls coach at Hawken School in Gates Mills, Ohio.
Polito joined the Cleveland State coaching staff during the 2012-13 season after a six-year stint as an assistant coach with the women’s tennis team at Georgia. During his tenure, the Bulldogs posted an overall record of 139-29, won two regular season SEC championships, claimed three SEC tournament titles and advanced past the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament three times. Georgia also finished the year ranked in the ITA top-10 five out of his six years. For his efforts with the Bulldogs, Polito was named the 2008 Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association South Region Assistant Coach of the Year, and promoted to associate head coach in September of 2010.
Prior to his time in Athens, Polito spent two years as an assistant coach at Kansas (2004-06) and two years in the same position at Ohio State (2001-03). With the Jayhawks, Polito’s coaching and recruiting efforts helped make dramatic improvements on and off the court, culminating with ITA All-Academic Team honors and an ITA No. 59 ranking following the 2006 season. At Ohio State, Polito led the Buckeyes to a combined record of 31-19 and consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2002, he was honored as the ITA Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year.
Polito also served as the head coach at Louisiana-Monroe (1999-2001), head coach at Akron (1997-99), assistant coach and interim head coach at Kansas (1996-97), head coach at Sienna Heights (1995) and head coach at Eastern Michigan (1990-95).
Polito is a 1990 graduate of Eastern Michigan, where he was a four-year letterwinner for the Eagles, and team captain during his senior year. The Lorain, Ohio native earned a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications and film from EMU.
