Inductees

Mark Rosewell has built a coaching career that many dream of.

He had the opportunity to coach at his alma mater, and made his mark on the program, and settled in for more than 40 years of success that have made his name synonymous with the sport in his region.

And it all started when he was in elementary school.

“You know, it was probably all the way back then when I knew I’d end up in coaching,” he said. “I was always lining up the games, picking teams, going over the rules, all of that. I’d even be the umpire or referee if they needed me to.”

Rosewell was a three-sport athlete, but excelled with tennis, especially when it came to teaching the game. He’s been coaching college tennis for 43 years – the past 41 at Northwest Missouri State University – and his teams have produced 1,289 career victories.

That long and steady career makes the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted Rosewell into the Class of 2025.

“I had so many people help get me to this point and help me throughout my career,” Rosewell said. “I’m honored and thankful for this.”

Rosewell’s career includes 1,267 victories in 41 seasons at Northwest Missouri State – the most of any coach in any sport there. Since 1984, his Northwest Missouri State teams have won 30 MIAA regular-season championships (14 women, 16 men), 10 MIAA Tournament championships (nine men, one women) and have made 45 NCAA Division II Tournament appearances (23 men, 22 women).

The 2014, 2016 and 2021 men’s team reached the Round of Eight. Two men’s players won regional titles, and a men’s doubles team won regionals. Six Northwest Missouri State men have earned MIAA MVP honors. The 1997 and 2003 women’s team reached the national quarterfinals.

Along the way, Rosewell has coached 136 MIAA champions and 108 first team All-MIAA performers. He also is a seven-time ITA Regional Coach of the Year (Women – 1998, 2006; Men – 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021).

Through it all, Rosewell said there are coaching philosophies that have remained the same.

“I stress that they have to have fun,” he said. “So many times, you’re putting all this work in and you’re focused on results, you can forget to have fun or you think you can’t have fun. Kids have to remember it’s not all about the wins and losses.”

Rosewell graduated from Lexington High School in 1973, where he is in the Lexington Minutemen Hall of Fame. He played tennis, baseball and wrestled, and then joined the tennis team at the University of Central Missouri.

“At UCM, I got to see how college tennis worked,” he said. “It was a great opportunity. It was so much better than the high school tennis I had seen at a smaller high school. I was a five or six, but I made the team and learned the game.”

That included ways to recruit and build a roster of individual athletes who could also come together as a team.

“That’s a really important aspect,” he said. “There can sometimes be problems. You have kids coming from different countries, and kids who have been treated as individuals their whole career, and you have to get them on the same page. That can take a while and it starts with having good co-captains, players who have been there for a while and can lead.”

While many things have stayed the same, the game of tennis has obviously changed drastically since Rosewell began coaching.

“Certainly the equipment has improved,” he said. “When I was in high school, we were playing with the Jimmy Connors Wilson T2000. Now, with the graphite equipment, it has really changed the game. They hit the ball much harder. They have better shoes and equipment, and kids are getting more lessons and growing up much more committed.”

Rosewell finds pride in having been able to coach at UCM and Northwest Missouri.

“It’s really fantastic,” he said. “They’re two of the original schools in the conference and now, with so many changes to the league, they’re the only originals left. When UCM still had tennis, it was a great, great rivalry.”

And he’s thankful for the people who have surrounded him for the last four decades at both Northwest and UCM.

“I’ve worked for probably seven athletic directors,” he said. “Working with (AD) Jim Redd at Northwest, he was always great and helping the program. Now, with Andy Peterson at Northwest, he’s just a blue-chip person. I’ve worked with some great people.”