Christopher Newport University

Eric Christiansen enters his 13th season at the helm of the Christopher Newport men's tennis program at the start of the 2024-25 season.

Heading into the 2017-18 season, David Weiner was elevated to head coach of the women's team, freeing Christiansen to focus directly on the men's squad. In the five years since that decision, CNU has held position among the nation's ranked programs, while six Captains have qualified for the NCAA Championships. In 2017-18, David Reed and Justin Cerny advanced to the NCAA Division III Doubles National Championship, while Dominic Lacombe competed in the Singles Championships in 2018-19. During the 2020-21 campaign, Scotty Hunter qualified for Singles while Ryan Macy and Alec Strause reached the first round of the Doubles bracket.  

Continuing to build CNU into a regional power while establishing a presence on the national tennis scene, Christiansen guided the Captains to the finest year in program history in 2016-17. The men's squad captured its first-ever Capital Athletic Conference Championship and made the program's second appearance in the NCAA postseason. Honored as the CAC and VaSID All-State Coach of the Year, he led the squad to a 15-10 overall record and a berth in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. 

Meanwhile, on the women's side, the Captains equalled the most wins in a single season since joining the CAC after posting a 14-7 mark. After advancing to the conference championship match, Christopher Newport eventually finished the year ranked No. 26 in the final ITA National Team Rankings. 

Although the 2016-17 season established a new benchmark for success, the Captains have made tremendous strides each year under Christiansen. In 2015-16, both teams captured one of the most memorable wins in program history as the CNU women came away with the team's first ever triumph over a Top 25 opponent, and the CNU men wen on the road to topple 13th-ranked Johns Hopkins for the first time in CNU lore. Both wins were part of an overall resume that catapulted the CNU tennis programs to the highest national rankings either team had ever garnered. 

Both teams reached the CAC Championship Match for a second consecutive season, and he coached a combined 15 All-Conference selections during the 15-16 season. 

The 2014-15 season was also one to remember for Christiansen, as it marked the first time both programs earned national rankings as a team under his tutelage. For the women, it was the first national ranking in program history and both the men and women wrapped up the 2015 spring season ranked 37th nationally.

CNU reached several benchmarks in the 2014-15 season, including the first CAC Championship appearance for both the men and women. He coached McKinney Harwood to the program's first ever ITA Regional Rookie of the Year honor and the freshman also finished the year ranked 49th for the first nationally-ranked women's player since 1992.

In his first ten years, Christiansen has piled up over 150 wins combined between the two teams. He posted a 69-39 record during his time leading the women's program, while he currently sports a 116-81 mark on the men's side.  

During his first year at the helm, Christiansen helped both the men and women reach the USA South Championship match while securing top-15 regional rankings. In the end, the women posted a record of 17-7, while the men finished 16-5 during the 2012-13 campaign. 

Building on his early success, Christiansen then guided the Captains through the difficult terrain of the Capital Athletic Conference for the first time in 2013-14. Both the men's and women's programs captured the No. 2 seed in the CAC Tournament in their first year in the league, going 5-1 in conference play. 

Prior to joining the Christopher Newport athletic department, where he was the men's tennis assistant for seven years, Christiansen served as the men's and women's assistant coach at Division I Old Dominion University for two years. He was responsible for planning and running team practices and also recruited student-athletes both domestically and internationally.

While at ODU, Christiansen led the women's team to 37 wins in two years, with four All-Conference nods. The ODU men were 47-16 during Christiansen's tenure, and climbed to No. 18 in the national rankings. With Eric on the CNU staff as an assistant, the Captains won 97 matches paired with just 56 losses, while coaching four players to All-American status. The run included the 2008 USA South Conference Championship and subsequent NCAA Tournament appearance.

Christiansen's coaching resume also includes founding the ECTennis Academy in 2002, of which he has remained Director since its inception in 2002. In January of 2010, he was named Director of Tennis for the City of Hampton. He is a United States Tennis Association (USTA) High Performance Coach, USTA School Programs Trainer, USTA sanctioned Tournament Director and is a USPTA (United States Professional Tennis Association) certified professional. He has helped produce numerous nationally and regionally-ranked junior tennis players, including one top five and two number one ranked players in their respective Mid-Atlantic age groups.

Coach Christiansen is also very active on campus and in the community serving as the faculty representative for FCA as well as being a Renaissance Brother for the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.  In the community he has worked to establish after-school tennis programs in the Newport News school system as well as aiding the grassroots tennis movement on the Peninsula.

The Yorktown, Va. native graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in Psychology in 2002 from the University of North Florida. As a player, Christiansen was the team captain of the fifth-ranked Ospreys, a Division II program. He earned All-Peach Belt Conference honors in 2002. 

Eric started his collegiate career at Division 1 Radford University.  During his time there Eric he was a singles and doubles starter and was also named team captain.  In 2000 a family situation caused him to transfer to the University of North Florida, a top nationally ranked Division II program.  At UNF, Christiansen was ranked top 20 in the nation in doubles in 2001 and 2002 and received a regional singles ranking as well.  He earned Peach Belt All-Conference honors in 2002.

Eric and his wife Jenny reside in Yorktown, Va., with their two sons, Rainer and Beck.

   

Name	Eric Christiansen
Education	Bachelor's: North Florida (2002)
Head Coaching Career	Christopher Newport University, 2012-Present
Men's Record at CNU	2012-13: 16-5 2013-14: 14-8 2014-15: 13-11 2015-16: 13-9 2016-17: 15-10 2017-18: 14-9 2018-19: 13-9 2019-20: 2-5 2020-21: 6-6 2021-22: 10-9 Total: 116-81 (.589)	Women's Record at CNU	2012-13: 17-7 2013-14: 10-11 2014-15: 14-6 2015-16: 14-8 2016-17: 14-7  Total: 69-39 (.639)
Overall Coaching Record	185-120 (.607), 10 seasons
Conference Championships	2016-17 Men's Tennis
NCAA Tournament Appearances	2016-17 (2nd Round)
Contact Coach Broderick	757-594-7372, eric.christiansen@cnu.edu
Personal	Wife: Jenny Sons: Rainer & Beck