MALIBU — Pepperdine Athletics has appointed Tassilo Schmid as the interim head coach for women's tennis, athletic director Tanner Gardner announced on Friday. 
 

"We are excited for Coach Schmid to lead our women's tennis program moving forward," Gardner said. "We have a talented group of student-athletes striving for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament this spring, and I know Coach Schmid will do an exceptional job leading the charge."

Schmid most recently served as the associate head coach for the Pepperdine men's team, where he established a reputation as an elite coach and recruiter. As a student-athlete, he was an accomplished collegiate tennis player and scholar at Mississippi State under the leadership of Per Nilsson. As a coach, he has experience at both Florida State and Pepperdine, appearing in seven NCAA Tournaments in the last nine years. 

"First, I want to thank Tanner Gardner for trusting me with this incredible opportunity. It's a privilege to step into this new role leading the Pepperdine womens' tennis team" Schmid said. "I look forward to building on the strong foundation that Per created while bringing my own vision and energy to the program."

Schmid's success as an associate head coach of the Pepperdine men's tennis program twice earned him the ITA's Regional Assistant Coach of the Year as he helped lead the Waves to four NCAA Tournament appearances, five All-American selections and four West Coast Conference regular-season and tournament titles. During his six years at Pepperdine, Coach Schmid has demonstrated dedication to Pepperdine's distinctive mission of holistically developing student athletes not only to be excellent tennis players, but also people of genuine character and resilience. 

Additionally, Gardner announced that coach Adam Schaechterle will add to his current men's head coaching responsibilities the role of Director of Tennis. In this role, he will provide additional guidance and support to both programs. 

"Tassy has given six years of excellence and loyalty to our men's tennis program. He understands the culture at Pepperdine and the unique values that make our university special. And, he's ready to be a head coach!" Schaecterle said. "I'm grateful to work as partners as we continue to advance Pepperdine tennis."

"I also want to express my gratitude to Adam Schaechterle, whose mentorship has been instrumental in my growth over the past six years, and I'm excited to continue our partnership," Schmid said.