Bio

Francisco Gallardo, a native of Santiago, Chile, is starting his seventh year as coach of the men's and women's tennis program at Tennessee Wesleyan University in 2023-24, after a successful career as a player at TWU and serving one year as an assistant coach.

Gallardo continues to build on the history he has set in the previous seasons as the head coach of the men's program. In the 2022-2023 season, the team accomplished the following feats: tied the program record for wins (22), were ranked Top 3 consistently during the season, 2022 ITA South Regional Singles Runner-up, 2022 ITA South Regional Doubles Runner-up, 2022 ITA Cup National Singles Runner-up, 2022 ITA Cup National Doubles Semifinalists, 2023 ITA/NAIA National Indoor Tournament Third Place, won the AAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships for the third straight season, had the AAC Player of the Year (Gabriel Ortiz) and AAC Freshman of the Year (Sabi Roi). Gallardo was also named AAC Coach of the Year for the third straight season. The team made a run all the way to the NAIA National Championship match, beating #1 Keiser in the semifinals for one of the best wins in program history and the program's first-ever trip to the NAIA National Championship match. The team recorded the best finish in the NAIA National Tournament as the runner-up.

In the 2019- 2020 season, Gallardo led the men's program to its first-ever Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Regional title, not once, but twice. The program brought home the ITA 2019 Singles and Doubles Regional Southeast Titles in a historic weekend in September to qualify for the ITA Cup. At the ITA Cup later in October, the Doubles team finished 3rd in the nation at the NAIA National Doubles Tournament; the best result in a national tournament for the tennis team. The members of the regional championship Doubles team, Valentin Popescu and Gregorio Magnarelli, were selected as All-Americans by the ITA at the end of the year. The spring season saw the men's team achieve its best national ranking and finish the year COVID-19 shortened season at No. 9 in the NAIA.

Off the court, the men's and women's teams were awarded the ITA Community Service and Outreach Award for the second year in a row because of the level of commitment and volunteer work provided by the teams during the season. Also, under his leadership, both the men's and women's teams were selected as All-Academic teams. The teams saw a new record of 18 players combined selected as ITA Scholar-Athletes.

Following great success in 2018, Gallardo led the men´s team to another historic season in 2019. After the best start of the season in the history of the men´s program, the men's team broke into the top ten for the first time in history. The team was ranked amongst the top ten for four polls in a row and finished the year in the 11th position. The team qualified for the NAIA National Tournament for the 3rd year in a row, reached the Round of 16th for the second year in a row, and picked up its second win in the NAIA National Tournament.

Both the men´s and women´s teams finished top four in the conference and made it to the semifinals in the AAC Conference Tournament. The teams posted a record of 12-7 on the men´s side and 8-8 on the women´s side.

In addition to the success on the court for the Bulldogs, Coach Gallardo has built teams with a strong awareness of the needs of the community. Both teams have developed a special relationship with the community through service. Both programs have accumulated more than 40 hours of community service by volunteering in different activities and organizations. Due to these efforts, the men's team was awarded the 2019 ITA Men's Community Service & Outreach Award at the NAIA National Tournament banquet.

Just like in 2018, Gallardo´s men’s and women’s teams earned NAIA Scholar-Team Honors for the 2019 season. This year, the women's tennis team had a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.69, taking first place for 4th year in a row. The men’s team had a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.35, placing 6^th.

Under Gallardo’s guidance in 2018, the men’s team achieved a co-regular season championship and were runners-up in the AAC Tournament. The team had a record-breaking season as it reached its highest historical ranking as 15^th in the nation, and qualified for the National Tournament for the second year in a row, and only the third time in the history of the school.

At the NAIA National Tournament, the team entered as the #16 seed and faced the #17 seed, the San Diego Christian College Hawks. This thrilling 5-4 match gave the Bulldogs their first-ever win in the National Tournament in the program’s history. The team ended their historic season losing to the # 1 seed, Georgia Gwinnett College, in the round of 16.

Over the years, Gallardo has developed one NAIA All-American Second Team member, three All-Conference Team members, two All-AAC Freshman Team members, and ten All-Academic Team members on the men’s side. On the women’s side, he has developed three Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes, two All-AAC Freshman Team members, and nine All-Academic AAC Team members.

His men’s and women’s teams earned NAIA Scholar-Team Honors. The women's tennis team had a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.52, leading the way in first place. The men’s team had a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.36, placing 4^th.

As a player, Gallardo played for the Bulldogs all four years of his college career, achieving one of the best records in the history of the school. His career records are: Singles- 61-23; Doubles- 59-27; Overall- 119-49. Gallardo was selected captain of the team his junior and senior year, leading the Bulldogs to three AAC Conference finals and one regular-season championship in 2015. He also helped the team to be ranked in the top 25 in the country in the 2016 season.

In 2015, Gallardo participated in the ITA Regionals, reaching the 4th round in singles by defeating the #9 seed in the second round and then losing to #5 seed in the 4th round. During his last year, he was awarded the Stan Harrison Award, for the athlete out of all of the university’s athletes that season who has contributed most to their team. Gallardo was awarded the NAIA Character of Champion in 2015 and 2016, along with being TWU Character of Champion in 2015. During his sophomore year, he was a part of the All-Conference Team in the AAC Conference and was named Player of the Week, March 2013 in the AAC Conference.

As a student, he made the Tennessee Wesleyan College Dean's List in 2013 and 2014 and became part of the honor's list of TWU in 2016. He graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in General Management.

Collegiate Coaching Career Record