Florida women’s tennis coach Roland Thornqvist, 54, has retired after a distinguished career. During his time with the Gators, Thornqvist accumulated over 500 wins and secured four NCAA national championships in 2003, 2011, 2012, and 2017.
Over his 23 seasons, he consistently led the team to winning records and NCAA tournament appearances, earning 11 Southeastern Conference (SEC) titles. He also guided the team to two national runner-up finishes.
Originally from Stockholm, Sweden, Thornqvist joined Florida in 2001 after coaching stints at North Carolina (1998-2001) and Kansas (1996-98). He leaves with an impressive 507-107 record at Florida and a career coaching record of 582-157.
Under his leadership, standout players like Lauren Embree, Jessica Lehnhoff, Alexis Gordon, Allie Will, Brooke Austin, and McCartney Kessler earned SEC Player of the Year honors.
As Thornqvist steps down, Associate Head Coach Jeremy Bayon will serve as interim head coach while the university searches for his successor. Thornqvist remarked, “Today is certainly bittersweet, but I will forever be a Florida Gator.”
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