Brian Kalbas

Kalbas attended the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, where he played for the Fighting Irish tennis team. He compiled a singles record of 85 wins, 54 losses, playing mostly in the team's {{nowrap|No. 1}} or {{nowrap|No. 2}} spot.{{cite news|url=https://archives.nd.edu/observer/1989-05-01_v22_130.pdf|title=Irish ready for future after season-ending win|last=Mitchell|first=Bob|date=May 1, 1989|page=14|work=The Observer|type=student newspaper|via=Archives of the University of Notre Dame|access-date=July 1, 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://archives.nd.edu/observer/v22/1989-04-28_v22_129.pdf|title=Kalbas 'everything' to Irish|page=21|last=Mitchell|first=Bob|date=April 28, 1989|work=The Observer|type=student newspaper|via=Archives of the University of Notre Dame|access-date=July 1, 2023}} A strong counterpuncher, he made up for his {{convert|5|ft|7|in|adj=on}} size with good court awareness, grit, and a willingness to play through injury.{{cite news|url=https://archives.nd.edu/observer/v21/1988-02-08_v21_085.pdf|title=ND netters remain unbeaten, dominate visiting Toledo|page=14|last=Mitchell|first=Bob|date=February 8, 1988|work=The Observer|type=student newspaper|via=Archives of the University of Notre Dame|access-date=July 1, 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal-brian-kalbas2/127580443/|title=Teams will miss departing young players|newspaper=Akron Beacon Journal|date=August 12, 1984|last=Nold|first=Bob|access-date=July 3, 2023|via=Newspapers.com|page=E11}} Another citation for this height: {{cite news|url=https://newspapers.com/article/the-pittsburgh-press-brian-kalbas/127580013/|title=Kalbas Rebounds for Third|last=Dulac|first=Gerry|date=June 2, 1983|access-date=July 3, 2023|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press|pages=E9–10|via=Newspapers.com}} Teammates considered him an informal leader by his junior year.{{cite news|url=https://archives.nd.edu/observer/v21/1988-04-29_v21_133.pdf|title=Men's tennis finishes season at Illinois State|page=25|last=Travers|first=George|date=April 29, 1988|work=The Observer|type=student newspaper|via=Archives of the University of Notre Dame|access-date=July 1, 2023}} As the team captain in his senior year in 1988–89, he missed half of the season due to a sore shoulder and other injuries and fell to No. 3; he had helped recruit the player, freshman David DiLucia, who replaced him in the top spot. Before the end of his senior year, he was hired as an assistant coach for the next season.

Kalbas remained an assistant coach at Notre Dame for three years. In his last year, Notre Dame reached the final of the 1992 NCAA Championships.

Kalbas served as the head coach of the William & Mary Tribe women's team from 1992 to 2003.{{cite web|url=https://tribeathletics.com/news/2015/5/10/210082704.aspx|title=Brian Kalbas 2015 Hall of Fame Wrap Up|date=May 10, 2015|publisher=William & Mary Athletics|website=tribeathletics.com|access-date=July 1, 2023}} The team, under Kalbas, won the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA; now Coastal Athletic Association) league title nine times. The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) named him Coach of the Year in 1998, the year of William & Mary's second consecutive quarterfinal finish in the NCAA Championships.

Kalbas became the head coach of the University of North Carolina women's team in the summer of 2003. Since its breakthrough 2009–10 season, the team has consistently held a place in the top 5 of the ITA rankings, and they have won the ACC Championships six times and the ITA National Team Indoor Championships seven times.{{cite news|url=https://goheels.com/news/2022/4/13/womens-tennis-50-years-unrelenting-excellence|title=50 Years: Unrelenting Excellence|date=April 13, 2022|website=goheels.com|publisher=University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Athletics|access-date=June 1, 2023}} In Kalbas's twentieth season, North Carolina won its first NCAA team title at the 2023 Championships; he had led the program to five previous appearances in the NCAA semifinals, including one final appearance in 2014.{{cite news|url=https://www.usta.com/en/home/stay-current/national/2023-ncaa-championships---special--unc-team-wins-its-first-ever-.html|title=2023 NCAA Championships: 'Special' UNC team wins its first-ever D1 women's team title|last=Chiesa|first=Victoria|date=May 20, 2023|publisher=United States Tennis Association|access-date=July 1, 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://chapelboro.com/sports/unc-sports/coach-brian-kalbas-building-powerhouse-tennis-program-chapel-hill|title=Coach Brian Kalbas Building Powerhouse Tennis Program At Chapel Hill|date=June 4, 2014|website=chapelboro.com|access-date=July 1, 2023}} One of his North Carolina players has won an NCAA singles title (Jamie Loeb in 2015), and three North Carolina teams have won the NCAA doubles title (Jenna Long/Sara Anundsen in 2007, Makenna Jones/Elizabeth Scotty in 2021, and Fiona Crawley/Carson Tanguilig in 2023). Kalbas was named the national Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2023.{{cite news|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100621133006/tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/w-tennis/spec-rel/061610aab.html|archive-date=June 21, 2010|url=http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/w-tennis/spec-rel/061610aab.html|title=Kalbas Named National Coach Of The Year|date=June 16, 2010|website=tarheelblue.cstv.com}}{{cite news|url=https://www.wearecollegetennis.com/2023/06/12/2023-division-i-womens-tennis-ita-national-awards/|title=2023 Division I Women's Tennis ITA National Awards|date=June 12, 2023|publisher=Intercollegiate Tennis Association|access-date=July 1, 2023}} The active leader in NCAA Division I dual match wins as a coach, he has signed a contract extension with North Carolina through 2027.{{cite news|url=https://goheels.com/news/2023/6/29/womens-tennis-carolina-womens-tennis-coach-brian-kalbas-agrees-to-contract-extension.aspx|title=Brian Kalbas Agrees to Contract Extension|date=June 29, 2023|website=goheels.com|publisher=University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Athletics|access-date=June 1, 2023}}

Kalbas has two children with his wife, Suzanne. His brother, Tim Kalbas, was a fellow member of the Notre Dame tennis team.{{cite news|url=https://und.com/an-irish-day-in-the-sun-5/|title=An Irish Day in the Sun|last=LaFleur|first=Pete|publisher=University of Notre Dame|access-date=July 1, 2023}}

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Category:Living people

Category:1966 births

Category:People from Carmel, Indiana

Category:Sports coaches from Indiana

Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's tennis players

Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's tennis coaches

Category:William & Mary Tribe women's tennis coaches

Category:North Carolina Tar Heels women's tennis coaches

Category:American tennis coaches