Arvid Swan, twice named Regional Coach of the Year, has made the Northwestern University Men’s Tennis Program into one of the most respected programs in college tennis. Swan's approach is built on hard work with a significant commitment to player development. He focuses on recruiting players who want to continue developing as tennis athletes while investing in a world-class education. Swan challenges his team to play one of the most rigorous non-conference schedules in college tennis while competing in the Big Ten Conference.
Swan took over head coaching duties in Evanston ahead of the 2007-08 season, following a short stint at DePaul. Prior to his time in Lincoln Park, Swan served as an associate to Northwestern's then-head coach Paul Toricelli for three seasons.
In Swan’s second season at Northwestern in 2009, he led a team that began the season unranked and finished last in the Big Ten the prior year to the NCAA Tournament—rapidly building one of the top-ranked Division 1 programs in the country. The team improved from 7-17 to 18-9 in one year and enjoyed the highest jump in national rankings over a one-year period of any team in Division 1, a distinction that Swan’s DePaul team also earned in 2007. Swan followed this dramatic 2009-to-2010 turnaround by leading the Wildcats in the following year to an even better outcome—its highest ranking in five seasons.
During the 12Â seasons from 2012-2024 (exempting the canceled 2020 campaign), Swan guided Northwestern to nine NCAA Tournaments, including six trips to the round of 32. Additionally, during this period, the team exceeded 20 dual wins in six of the 12 seasons. The run included a school-record 26 matches in 2016, when the team was ranked as high as seventh nationally. Most recently, in 2023, the Wildcats notched 21 wins, including a 7-2 record in Big Ten Conference play, a season-high ranking of No. 12, and an upset win against UCLA in the NCAA Tournament prior to a heartbreaking loss (3-4) to No. 4 Kentucky. The Wildcats finished the year ranked No. 25.
From an individual performance perspective, a Wildcat has won the Big Ten Men’s Singles Championship in six of the last nine years and has advanced to the finals of the Big Ten Singles Championship in eight of the last nine years.
Swan has coached numerous great players, including Spencer Wolf (two-time All-Big Ten honoree), Raleigh Smith (two-time All-Big Ten honoree and NCAA Singles Qualifier), Sam Shrophshire, (Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Midwest Regional Rookie Player of the Year, four time All-Big Ten honoree, NCAA Singles Qualifier and Midwest Regional Arthur Ashe Jr. Award winner), Strong Kirchheimer (three-time All-Big Ten honoree, career record of 107-36, ranking second in program history for wins and win percentage in singles, career record of 72 doubles wins, ranking second in program history and NCAA Singles Qualifier), Konrad Zieba (two-time All-Big Ten honoree and NCAA Singles Qualifier), Dominik Stary (three-time All-Big Ten honoree) and Steven Forman (four time All-Big Ten honoree and NCAA Singles Qualifier).
Swan returned to Northwestern in 2007 after one year as the DePaul University Men’s Tennis Head Coach, where he led a successful transition of the Blue Demon program from an 8-14 record under prior leadership to an 18-7 record and a national ranking as high as No. 58. Prior to his brief tenure at DePaul, Swan served as the Northwestern University Associate Head Coach from 2003 to 2006 and helped guide the team to back-to-back fourth-place conference finishes, a pair of top-40 national rankings, and an NCAA Championship Tournament appearance in 2006.
In his playing days, Swan was world-ranked professionally in singles and doubles before finding his passion and transitioning to coaching. While attending and competing for the University of Michigan, Swan was the recipient of the Scholar-Athlete Award in 1995 and earned his way into three Academic All-Big Ten teams from 1996-98. In 1996, Swan was elected to the All-Big Ten team as the Wolverines went on to win the Big Ten Championship. Swan captained the squad until his graduation in 1998.
Swan took over head coaching duties in Evanston ahead of the 2007-08 season, following a short stint at DePaul. Prior to his time in Lincoln Park, Swan served as an associate to Northwestern's then-head coach Paul Toricelli for three seasons.
In Swan’s second season at Northwestern in 2009, he led a team that began the season unranked and finished last in the Big Ten the prior year to the NCAA Tournament—rapidly building one of the top-ranked Division 1 programs in the country. The team improved from 7-17 to 18-9 in one year and enjoyed the highest jump in national rankings over a one-year period of any team in Division 1, a distinction that Swan’s DePaul team also earned in 2007. Swan followed this dramatic 2009-to-2010 turnaround by leading the Wildcats in the following year to an even better outcome—its highest ranking in five seasons.
During the 12Â seasons from 2012-2024 (exempting the canceled 2020 campaign), Swan guided Northwestern to nine NCAA Tournaments, including six trips to the round of 32. Additionally, during this period, the team exceeded 20 dual wins in six of the 12 seasons. The run included a school-record 26 matches in 2016, when the team was ranked as high as seventh nationally. Most recently, in 2023, the Wildcats notched 21 wins, including a 7-2 record in Big Ten Conference play, a season-high ranking of No. 12, and an upset win against UCLA in the NCAA Tournament prior to a heartbreaking loss (3-4) to No. 4 Kentucky. The Wildcats finished the year ranked No. 25.
From an individual performance perspective, a Wildcat has won the Big Ten Men’s Singles Championship in six of the last nine years and has advanced to the finals of the Big Ten Singles Championship in eight of the last nine years.
Swan has coached numerous great players, including Spencer Wolf (two-time All-Big Ten honoree), Raleigh Smith (two-time All-Big Ten honoree and NCAA Singles Qualifier), Sam Shrophshire, (Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Midwest Regional Rookie Player of the Year, four time All-Big Ten honoree, NCAA Singles Qualifier and Midwest Regional Arthur Ashe Jr. Award winner), Strong Kirchheimer (three-time All-Big Ten honoree, career record of 107-36, ranking second in program history for wins and win percentage in singles, career record of 72 doubles wins, ranking second in program history and NCAA Singles Qualifier), Konrad Zieba (two-time All-Big Ten honoree and NCAA Singles Qualifier), Dominik Stary (three-time All-Big Ten honoree) and Steven Forman (four time All-Big Ten honoree and NCAA Singles Qualifier).
Swan returned to Northwestern in 2007 after one year as the DePaul University Men’s Tennis Head Coach, where he led a successful transition of the Blue Demon program from an 8-14 record under prior leadership to an 18-7 record and a national ranking as high as No. 58. Prior to his brief tenure at DePaul, Swan served as the Northwestern University Associate Head Coach from 2003 to 2006 and helped guide the team to back-to-back fourth-place conference finishes, a pair of top-40 national rankings, and an NCAA Championship Tournament appearance in 2006.
In his playing days, Swan was world-ranked professionally in singles and doubles before finding his passion and transitioning to coaching. While attending and competing for the University of Michigan, Swan was the recipient of the Scholar-Athlete Award in 1995 and earned his way into three Academic All-Big Ten teams from 1996-98. In 1996, Swan was elected to the All-Big Ten team as the Wolverines went on to win the Big Ten Championship. Swan captained the squad until his graduation in 1998.