Damien O'Donnell is in his first season as MSUM's head women's tennis coach. He was elevated to the role in July 2025 after three years as the program's top assistant.
In his time with Moorhead, O’Donnell has helped raise the profile of Dragon women’s tennis to one of the best in the Northern Sun. In his time with the Dragons, MSUM has collected 28 dual victories, including 12 in 2024-25. With his help, MSUM has made back-to-back trips to the NSIC Tournament, including a quarterfinal victory over the University of Mary last season. He has helped guide three players to All-NSIC singles distinction in Shaelyn Johnson, Tiannah Gu and Luzmary Diaz Castillo. O’Donnell has also guided a pair of doubles teams to all-conference honors in his time with the Dragons.
“I’m incredibly honored to be named head coach of the women’s tennis program here at MSUM. This team means so much to me, and I’m excited to build on its strong foundation,” said O’Donnell upon his hiring. “We have an amazing group of ladies and a great mix of returning players, transfers and incoming freshman that I expect to be an extremely talented team up and down the roster. I look forward to leading the team and helping them grow both on and off the court. Go Dragons!”
In addition to his assistant coaching duties at MSUM, O’Donnell has served as a tennis pro at Courts Plus Community Fitness in Fargo, N.D. since 2018. O’Donnell has also taught private tennis lessons since 2023. He is also active in the high school tennis scene, serving as a coach for both genders at Fargo Shanley High School. He helped lead the Deacon boys from 2018 until 2024 and has coached the Shanley girls since 2019. O’Donnell was a standout student-athlete for the Deacons as well, earning all-state honors in tennis.
