Bethel University Athletics

Drew Fernelius enters his 14th season as the head men's and women's tennis coach at Bethel University in the 2025-26 season. 

BETHEL WOMEN UNDER FERNELIUS
• 185-83 (.690) career record
• 27 MIAC All-Conference Singles selections
• 26 MIAC All-Conference Doubles selections
• Three-time MIAC Women's Tennis Coach of the Year (2016, 2018, 2019)   
• Led the women's program to their first-ever MIAC Playoff appearance in 2013
• 10 all-time MIAC Playoff appearances including nine consecutive
• Program record 20 wins in 2019 following 19-win seasons in 2016 and 2017
• Won a program-best 13 straight matches to start the 2024 season
• Ranked nine straight weeks in the ITA National rankings including a program-best No. 24 ranking on April 3, 2024. 
• Earned the program's first-ever ITA national ranking in 2019 (Top 40)
• Earned the program's first-ever ITA Central Region ranking in 2018 (Top 20)
• Hosted and won a MIAC Playoff match in each of the last seven seasons
• Reached the MIAC Playoff semifinals for the seventh consecutive season
• Made program's first-ever appearance in MIAC women's tennis championship match in 2019
• Maggie & Grace Riermann became Bethel's first-ever All-Americans earning the honor three times in doubles play 
•11 All-Americans since 2019
    • Grace Riermann six-time All-American (2020, 2021 singles, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 doubles)
    • Maggie Riermann three-time doubles All-American (2019, 2020, 2021)
    • Sydney Rott doubles All-American (2022)
    • Luaryn Douglas singles All-American (2024)
• 2 ITA Midwest Singles Champions
    • Grace Riermann (2019)
    • Lauryn Douglas (2024)
• 2 ITA Midwest Doubles Champions
    • Grace Riermann & Maggie Riermann (2018, 2019)
• 3 Individual NCAA Individual Championship Apperances 
    • Grace Riermann 2021 singles draw reached the quarterfinals
    • Grace Riermann & Maggie Riermann 2021 doubles draw reached the semifinals
    • Grace Riermann & Sydney Rott 2022 doubles draw reached the quarterfinals
• Maggie Riermann earned the 2019 Women's Tennis MIAC Elite 22 Award and MIAC nominee for NCAA Women of the Year in 2021
• Grace Riermann earns program's first-ever MIAC Chris Evert Award (2022)
• Grace Riermann named ITA Central Region Women's Player of the Year (2022)
• Grace Riermann named 2022 NCAA Women's Tennis Elite 90 Award winner
• Michaella Sullivan named MIAC Rooke of the Year in 2024

BETHEL MEN UNDER FERNELIUS
• 135-108 (.556) career record
• 29 MIAC All-Conference Singles selections
• 29 MIAC All-Conference Doubles selections
• Has led the men's program to six MIAC Playoff appearances (2014, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2025)
• Finished with overall records of 19-5 in 2016 and 18-6 in 2017
• Tucker Morris presented the 2013 MIAC Arthur Ashe Award, the first Royal since 1999 to earn the MIAC's highest honor
• Hunter Fernelius awarded the 2019 MIAC Arthur Ashe Award, finishing his career as Bethel's all-time wins leader with 133 career victories
• 2017 senior Kolin Kiekhoefer earned MIAC All-Conference singles and doubles awards in all four seasons while fellow 2017 senior Matt Schull earned MIAC All-Conference singles in three of his four years and All-Conference doubles in all four
• 2019 senior Hunter Fernelius was a four-time All-MIAC singles honoree and 2017 All-MIAC doubles awardee
• Carter Sheard Named MIAC Rookie of the Year in 2024 and MIAC Singles Player of the Year in 2025

ROBBINSDALE ARMSTRONG SUCCESS
• Increased participation by 25 percent and tripled the number of winning matches for both teams within just two seasons at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School
• 2009 Section 6AA Coach of the Year

PLAYING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Two-time NCAA Division III All-American at the University of St. Thomas
• Inducted into the St. Thomas Hall of Fame in 2019
• Minnesota High School State Champion at New London-Spicer High School

MINISTRY WORK
• Served as the Assistant Director of Spiritual Growth at Cornerstone Church in Crystal, Minn., helping to train and develop personal and spiritual growth in people of all ages

PERSONAL LIFE
• Lives in New Hope with his wife, Lisa, and their five children; Hunter, Ben, Mikaela, Faith and Gracie

last updated 8/13/2025