Gertjan De Wilder Elevated To Interim Head Coach For Women's Tennis
8/14/2025 11:50:00 AM | Women's Tennis
De Wilder will lead the program in 2025-26 after three years as an assistant with the recently retired Jenny Hilt-Costello.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State Athletics has announced that Gertjan De Wilder will lead the Beach Tennis program in the coming year as an Interim Head Coach. De Wilder has spent the previous three seasons as an assistant with the program.
De Wilder played a major role in the recent success of the program, helping recruit and develop Long Beach State's young class of seven freshmen during the 2024-25 campaign that rose to as high as No. 53 in the national rankings and a third-place finish in the Big West.
"Gertjan de Wilder is a rising star in the women's tennis coaching ranks, and we are excited for him to build upon the foundation of the program established by Jenny Hilt-Costello," said Executive Director of Athletics, Bobby Smitheran. "He is well respected in international coaching circles and he brings a multitude of experiences from his playing days that will serve him well. He was critical to the development of a young, talented team this past season and we believe under Gertjan's leadership the program will continue to flourish.
Since De Wilder's arrival, Long Beach State has recorded double-digit wins in all three seasons and saw newcomer Cecilia Costa win Big West Freshman of the Year last season. Costa was first-team All-Big West in both singles and doubles, one of five different players honored as All-Big West for Long Beach State last season.
Additionally, in a time of roster turnover, the team's commitment to the growth and leadership of the program has been represented with all eight players returning to the team for the upcoming season, a return rate of 100%.
"I'm incredibly honored and excited to take over the Long Beach State Tennis program and continue the strong legacy built here by Jenny Hilt-Costello," said De Wilder. "I want to sincerely thank Bobby Smitheran and Gladie Jaffe for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. With all of our players returning to Long Beach, our future is bright. I'm committed to building a program that competes at the highest level, bringing exciting high-level tennis to the Long Beach community and providing our student-athletes with a complete and meaningful collegiate experience."
De Wilder is a former Division I, Division II, and junior college tennis athlete. He played collegiately for Eastern Illinois, Concordia, and Cypress College. De Wilder was the team captain with Eastern Illinois and a former NJCAA conference winner with Cypress College. During his tenure at Concordia, the Eagles were ranked No. 12 in the nation for Division II tennis.
De Wilder brings immense experience at the international level. A native of Belgium, De Wilder played at the Belgian Tennis Federation as a sparring partner for many tennis athletes. Additionally, De Wilder has gained experience coaching players in ITF tournaments.
After one year of competitive play with Concordia, De Wilder began his coaching career with both the men's and women's tennis teams as a full-time assistant coach while earning his master's degree in coaching and athletic administration. He then completed a second Master's in coaching and exercise science.
De Wilder played a major role in the recent success of the program, helping recruit and develop Long Beach State's young class of seven freshmen during the 2024-25 campaign that rose to as high as No. 53 in the national rankings and a third-place finish in the Big West.
"Gertjan de Wilder is a rising star in the women's tennis coaching ranks, and we are excited for him to build upon the foundation of the program established by Jenny Hilt-Costello," said Executive Director of Athletics, Bobby Smitheran. "He is well respected in international coaching circles and he brings a multitude of experiences from his playing days that will serve him well. He was critical to the development of a young, talented team this past season and we believe under Gertjan's leadership the program will continue to flourish.
Since De Wilder's arrival, Long Beach State has recorded double-digit wins in all three seasons and saw newcomer Cecilia Costa win Big West Freshman of the Year last season. Costa was first-team All-Big West in both singles and doubles, one of five different players honored as All-Big West for Long Beach State last season.
Additionally, in a time of roster turnover, the team's commitment to the growth and leadership of the program has been represented with all eight players returning to the team for the upcoming season, a return rate of 100%.
"I'm incredibly honored and excited to take over the Long Beach State Tennis program and continue the strong legacy built here by Jenny Hilt-Costello," said De Wilder. "I want to sincerely thank Bobby Smitheran and Gladie Jaffe for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. With all of our players returning to Long Beach, our future is bright. I'm committed to building a program that competes at the highest level, bringing exciting high-level tennis to the Long Beach community and providing our student-athletes with a complete and meaningful collegiate experience."
De Wilder is a former Division I, Division II, and junior college tennis athlete. He played collegiately for Eastern Illinois, Concordia, and Cypress College. De Wilder was the team captain with Eastern Illinois and a former NJCAA conference winner with Cypress College. During his tenure at Concordia, the Eagles were ranked No. 12 in the nation for Division II tennis.
De Wilder brings immense experience at the international level. A native of Belgium, De Wilder played at the Belgian Tennis Federation as a sparring partner for many tennis athletes. Additionally, De Wilder has gained experience coaching players in ITF tournaments.
After one year of competitive play with Concordia, De Wilder began his coaching career with both the men's and women's tennis teams as a full-time assistant coach while earning his master's degree in coaching and athletic administration. He then completed a second Master's in coaching and exercise science.
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