Mike Griffith, a two-time winner of Big South Coach of the Year (2019 & 2023), finished his 21st year at the helm of the Runnin’ Bulldog men’s tennis program in 2022-23.
During the 2023 season, he set a program record for single season wins with 16 as he was named big South Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. He led the team to their first-ever appearance in the Big South Tournament Finals as well, finishing as the runner-ups at the event. They claimed a share of the Regular Season title and the #1 seed for the Tournament for the second time in school history as they went 4-1 against league opponents. Griffith also helped Victor Putter to become the first GWU player to earn Scholar-Athlete of the Year status. He set a conference record with four different players earning Player of the Week honors during the season as well. There were six different players to earn All-Conference at the end of the season, highlighted by Eduardo Dias earning spots on the First-Team for singles and doubles.
In 2022, GWU finished third in the regular season posting a 12-11 overall record and 5-2 mark within the Big South. Griffith helped mentor Dias to a place on the First-Team All Conference in his first season in the Springs. Griffith also landed Sebastian Harris and Connor Enslin on the Second-Team for doubles including a run to the quarterfinals of the Carolina ITA Regionals in the Fall of 2021.
The 2021 spring season saw the 'Dogs post a 3-2 conference record and an appearance in the Big South Conference Tournament Semifinals. Griffith mentored Putter into appearances onto the All-Conference Academic Team and First-Teams for Singles and Doubles. In total, there were four players who received All-Conference Status during this season.
In the 2019-2020, Griffith led the team to an undefeated record at the Webb Tennis Complex including ending the season on a three-game win streak,
Griffith led the Runnin' Bulldogs to the 2019 regular season championship as the 'Dogs clinched the trophy and No. 1 seed in the tournament with a 4-2 win over Longwood in the regular season finale. In the tournament, the 'Dogs rolled past USC Upstate in the quarterfinals before falling to Radford in the semifinals.
In addition to Griffith's Coach of the Year award, the Big South Conference recognized Maximilian Scholl and Millen Hurrion. Scholl became a four-time First-Team singles member and also represented Gardner-Webb on the All-Academic squad. He ended his senior year with 18 straight singles wins after a loss to the top-ranked player in the country, Wake Forest's Petros Chrysochos. Additionally, Scholl was ranked as high as 124th in the ITA singles poll during the spring, and made a run to the Elite 8 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Regionals in the fall. Hurrion, the 2018 Freshman of the Year, was named a First-Team All-Big South member. He was ranked as high as 80th in the ITA singles poll. The duo, which at one point had a career-best ranking of 26th among doubles teams according to the ITA, was named to the First-Team All-Big South doubles thanks to their unblemished 6-0 league record and 15-1 mark at the conclusion of the 2019 campaign.
The 2017-18 season saw several highlights, including Scholl entering the ITA singles poll and reaching as high as No. 97. Scholl and freshman Hurrion were also ranked in the doubles poll - entering the polled ranked 67th on April 10, 2018. The duo were both recognized by the Big South Conference. Hurrion was the Freshman of the Year and named First-Team All-Conference, while Scholl was First-Team All-Conference and also a member of the Big South Conference All-Academic squad. The duo was also named to the first team All-Conference doubles squad. The 2017-18 version of the Runnin' Bulldogs ended the year 10-15 overall. Griffith's squad made the BSC tournament as the No. 6 seed and upset No. 3 Presbyterian in the quarterfinals, before falling to No. 2 Campbell in th the semifinals.
The 2016-17 edition of the Runnin’ Bulldogs were the Big South Conference regular season runner-ups and had a pair of players – Scholl and Breno Plentz named to the All-Conference singles team. Scholl and Plentz both went 6-1 in BSC singles play.
As a team in 2016-17, the ‘Dogs were selected as an ITA All-Academic team. Griffith’s teams have earned that honor for the past 10 seasons. The prestigious award is given to teams with a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher and individuals with a GPA of 3.5 or higher while being a varsity letter winner.
Griffith’s 2015-16 squad finished fourth in the BSC and had a 10-12 overall record, with a .500 mark in conference action. Maximilian Scholl was named the BSC Freshman of the Year and was also a member of the All-BSC Doubles First-Team with Nikita Zverkov. Additionally, Scholl was named to the First-Team All-Singles team
Gardner-Webb posted a 10-13 mark in the 2014-15 season and went 3-5 in conference matches, advancing to the quarterfinals of the Big South Conference tournament. Four players earned Big South honors at the conclusion of the regular season. The Runnin’ Bulldogs, along with three student-athletes all were 2015 ITA Scholar-Athletes.
Since being hired by Gardner-Webb on Oct. 25, 2002, Griffith has had numerous athletes named Intercollegiate Tennis Association Academic All Americans.
Born in Greenwood, S.C., Griffith grew up in Gastonia, N.C. and earned his associate of arts degree from Anderson in 1986 and his bachelor of arts degree from Winthrop in 1988, where he was a two-time All-Conference honoree. While at Anderson, Griffith led the men's tennis squad to a victory in the 1986 Junior College National Championship.
Bolstering his coaching pedigree further, Griffith completed the United States Tennis Association (USTA) High Performance Coaching Program.
Griffith and his wife, Donna, currently reside in Gastonia, N.C., where Donna is an elementary school teacher for Gaston County Schools. The couple has a son, Carson, who plays soccer at Presbyterian being named to the All Big South Second-Team for the 2022 season.
