MALIBU, Calif. — After serving as the interim head coach of the Pepperdine women's tennis team for one season, Tassilo Schmid was named the head coach of the program on Thursday.
"We are thrilled to announce that Coach Schmid will guide the Pepperdine women's tennis program into the future," Director of Athletics Tanner Gardner said. "He impressively led the team to a WCC Championship and the NCAA postseason this spring, even in the face of great adversity. His track record of excellence and familiarity with Pepperdine's mission and values make him the ideal coach to lead this program as we compete for national championships."
Schmid becomes the fourth head coach in Pepperdine women's tennis history after leading the Waves to a West Coast Conference Championship title in 2025. Despite having six newcomers on the roster and no upperclassmen in the lineup for the majority of the season, the Waves picked up five wins over Power-4 teams and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Pepperdine won 15 matches while playing one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation: The Waves faced 13 NCAA Tournament teams, including four of the eight NCAA quarterfinalists.
Individually, four Waves earned All-WCC recognition, including WCC Co-Freshman of the Year Alexia Harmon. Pepperdine had two players and one doubles team make the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association national rankings.
"It's an incredible honor to be named head coach of Pepperdine women's tennis," Tassilo Schmid said. "This program has a rich tradition of excellence, and I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to lead such an elite team. I'm excited to build on our legacy and continue pushing our student-athletes to thrive both on and off the court."
No stranger to Pepperdine tennis, Schmid begins his eighth season in Malibu in 2025-26. Before taking over the women's program, Schmid served as an assistant and associate coach for the Pepperdine men's tennis program from 2018-24. In six seasons working with Pepperdine Director of Tennis Adam Schaechterle, Schmid helped the Waves make four NCAA Tournament appearances, win four West Coast Conference regular-season and tournament titles and develop five All-Americans. Thanks to his reputation as a skilled international recruiter, Schmid earned back-to-back Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Southwest Regional Assistant Coach of the Year awards in 2021 and 2022.
He began his head coaching career at Florida State, where he was a volunteer assistant coach for the men's program from 2016-18. During his three-year tenure, the Seminoles reached the NCAA Tournament in every season.
As a player, Schmid competed at Mississippi State for two seasons and helped lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament in 2015. Playing for former Pepperdine head coach Per Nilsson, Schmid was ranked as high as #63 in singles and #46 in doubles in the ITA rankings. As a senior, he was the ITA Southern Region's Most Improved Player in 2015. Prior to Mississippi State, Schmid was an NJCAA All-American at Tyler Junior College, where he won the 2013 national championship after making the championship match in 2012.
In the classroom, he was a two-time Academic All-SEC selection. Schmid earned his bachelor's degree in business management from Mississippi State in 2015.
The Waves return four players from 2025 — including Harmon and All-WCC First Team selection Anastasiia Grechkina — in 2026. A fall schedule is forthcoming.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT COACH SCHMID
"Pepperdine tennis has a special tradition and an elite competitive legacy. I'm thrilled for Tass to oversee this next chapter and excited for the culture he will build. We all know he's one of the best recruiters in college tennis and that he will attract Grand Slam-level recruits. But he also has a strong vision for development and for connecting to the Malibu community. I'm excited to continue working together to serve Waves tennis!"
— Adam Schaechterle, Pepperdine Director of Tennis
"Pepperdine has got an amazing young coach in Tassilo Schmid. I remember Tassilo from his playing days at Mississippi State and I really got to know him as a young coach who has a great ability to make connections. I believe he is one of the most gifted coaches we have in college tennis, and he works extremely hard. Congrats to Pepperdine on making this incredible hire."
— Bryan Shelton, Former Florida Men's Tennis Head Coach, father and coach of current ATP #9 Ben Shelton
"Tassilo is a really kind and down-to-earth guy who genuinely cares about the people he works with. As a tennis coach, he knows his stuff and makes learning fun and motivating. He's the kind of coach who helps you grow, not just as a player but as a person too."
— Per Nilsson, Florida Women's Tennis Head Coach, former Pepperdine and Mississippi State head coach
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