Brian Fleishman, the first-year coach of the University of Wisconsin women's tennis team, has found his calling once again.

After traveling around the world as a coach for professional players; coaching women's tennis at William & Mary and Wake Forest; and serving as the director of the world-class junior program at the Van der Meer Tennis Academy, he is back to the place he loves to be - coaching college tennis.

 
"As the Academy Director for two years it was pretty much like Groundhog Day, the same grind day after day," Fleishman said. "In college tennis it is always a new day. I have to readjust to new situations, grades, relationships and schedule changes."
This week has served as a perfect example of how resilient Fleishman must be.

As of Wednesday evening, 12 hours before the start of the top tournament in the country - the USTA-ITA Women's Indoor Team Championships - three teams had not yet reached Madison. With the Dane County Regional Airport closed and more than 13 inches in snowfall accumulation in 24 hours in Madison, some of the 15 participating teams had to find alternative routes. One team flew to Detroit and chartered a bus to Madison. Another team drove from Chicago via Milwaukee from California. A third team flew from Atlanta to Minneapolis and drove to Madison. To accommodate everyone, Fleishman changed some of the earlier scheduled matches for later in the day starting on Thursday.

Regardless of the weather, Fleishman is excited about the Indoor Team Nationals. "It's a great indicator of the NCAA finals and how the season is going to go," he said. "Last year Georgia Tech won here and then won the NCAA championship in May. This is the early NCAA tournament."

The Badgers lost to the defending national champion Yellow Jackets 4-0 in the first round Thursday, and fell to No. 11 Baylor 7-0 Friday. UW will play William & Mary in consolation play today at 9 a.m.

Fleishman compiled a 105-68 record at Wake Forest, led the Demon Deacons to six NCAA appearances. He coached 16 All-Americans, including Bea Bielik, who won the NCAA singles championship in 2002. Bielik and Janet Bergman were the top-ranked doubles team in 2002, also under Fleishman's guidance. That same year, Fleishman was named the ITA National Coach of the Year.

His philosophy of coaching pulls together his experiences from his own life. "I'm firm on hard work and that it eventually pays off," he said. "When I toured with the pros we saw how Agassi and Sampras practiced. By being around the pros we saw what you needed - hard work and discipline."

Fleishman is known to say there are no excuses once you set foot on the court for a match. He explains his reasoning: "First, training is a priority, then private lessons, then we provide the shoes, rackets, strings and everything a player needs. We take the guesswork out for the competing player."

Liz Carpenter, a junior from Pasadena, Calif., and one of the captains for the Badgers, remembers the first day of practice with Fleishman and assistant coach Katie Dougherty. "Everything changed. Brian had a game plan, he's organized, he has a system," she said. "He wanted us to start fresh. He wanted us to work hard, be at practice early, be organized and be disciplined."

"He has a different style," said fellow captain Chelsea Nusslock, a senior from Lake Forest, Ill. "The coaches expect us to be positive and we expect them to be positive with us. It isn't a one-way street. And they (the coaches) are all about school pride and being proud of Wisconsin. It's all about heart for the team."