Staff Directory
Faulkner, Tyler
Tyler Faulkner
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
- Email:
- Phone:
- 353-9859
Tyler Faulkner enters his 15th year with the Michigan State women’s tennis team in 2025-26.
Under Coach Faulker’s coaching, MSU posted 13 wins in 2024-25, the most wins by the Spartans since 2019, as MSU has equaled or improved on its season record in each of the last five seasons.
Of Michigan State’s 13 wins in 2024-25, four of them were over ranked opponents, including back-to-back upsets wins with a win at No. 44 Nebraska (4-2) on March 9, and a home upset over No. 33 Penn State (4-2) on March 15. MSU added upsets over No. 44 Northwestern (4-2) on March 28 and a win at No. 53 Purdue (4-3) on April 5.
MSU earned the No. 11 seed in the B1G Tournament, with the Spartans falling in a hard-fought clash with the Trojans of USC, the No. 6 seed.
Faulkner has coached six Spartans to Big Ten Conference honors, including four first-team All-B1G selections in Marina Bohrer (2014), Erin Faulkner (2015), Mary Lewis (2020 and 2021). In 2025, senior Liisa Vehviläinen earned Second Team All-B1G honors, while freshman Amara Brahmbhatt was named to the All-Freshman Team, for MSU’s first-ever All-Freshman Team honor in the first year the league has had such team, while junior Matilde Morais earned the Sportsmanship Award.
During the 2016-17 season, Faulkner was honored with the Midwest Region’s Assistant Coach of the Year Award from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). He earned the reward after helping lead the Spartans to a 17-8 overall record and a 7-4 Big Ten record, with the seven conference wins being the most since 1991. The team finished the season ranked fourth in the Big Ten, its best finish since 1988.
Between 2017-19, Faulkner helped lead the Spartans to three-straight seasons with a winning Big Ten record. This marks the first time in Spartan women's tennis program history in which the team has had three-straight winning Big Ten seasons.
During his time at Michigan State, Faulkner has helped coach many of the Spartan women’s tennis greats, including the winningest overall player in Athena Trouillot and first team All-Big Ten selections Marina Bohrer and Erin Faulkner.
Most recently, Faulkner coached two top 10 winners in Emily Metcalf and Davina Nguyen. Nguyen became the winningest doubles player in program history with 68 wins, while Metcalf ranks fifth with 60 wins. Nguyen is also the second most winningest singles and overall player with 74 singles wins and 142 overall wins. The doubles duo qualified for the main draw of the ITA All-American Championships in the fall of 2017, after receiving a No. 14 ranking in the ITA Preseason National Doubles Rankings.
Faulkner came to Michigan State after having served three seasons as the men's and women's assistant tennis coach at Troy University. Before Troy, Faulkner was a volunteer assistant coach for the men's team at the University of Alabama, where he helped lead the Crimson Tide to a top-25 national ranking and an NCAA Tournament berth. Prior to that position, Faulkner was an assistant coach for men's and women's tennis at his alma mater Berry College from 2006-08. Berry was a perennial NAIA top-10 team during his stint. Faulkner started his coaching career at Colby College in Waterville, Maine during the 2005-06 season, where he helped lead the team to its first ever national ranking.
Faulkner started his collegiate tennis career at Georgia Perimeter College. During his freshman season he earned a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championship. At Georgia Perimeter, Faulkner earned three All-American honors in singles and doubles. Faulkner then transferred to Berry College and was a two-time NAIA All-American in doubles and never dropped below a top-10 national ranking. The former doubles standout led the Vikings to the NAIA National Tournament twice in his tenure, advancing to the quarterfinals his junior season.
Faulkner graduated from Berry in 2005 with a degree in communications with a concentration in public relations. He earned his master's degree in sport and fitness management at Troy University in 2010.
Faulkner's family includes his wife, Autumn.
Under Coach Faulker’s coaching, MSU posted 13 wins in 2024-25, the most wins by the Spartans since 2019, as MSU has equaled or improved on its season record in each of the last five seasons.
Of Michigan State’s 13 wins in 2024-25, four of them were over ranked opponents, including back-to-back upsets wins with a win at No. 44 Nebraska (4-2) on March 9, and a home upset over No. 33 Penn State (4-2) on March 15. MSU added upsets over No. 44 Northwestern (4-2) on March 28 and a win at No. 53 Purdue (4-3) on April 5.
MSU earned the No. 11 seed in the B1G Tournament, with the Spartans falling in a hard-fought clash with the Trojans of USC, the No. 6 seed.
Faulkner has coached six Spartans to Big Ten Conference honors, including four first-team All-B1G selections in Marina Bohrer (2014), Erin Faulkner (2015), Mary Lewis (2020 and 2021). In 2025, senior Liisa Vehviläinen earned Second Team All-B1G honors, while freshman Amara Brahmbhatt was named to the All-Freshman Team, for MSU’s first-ever All-Freshman Team honor in the first year the league has had such team, while junior Matilde Morais earned the Sportsmanship Award.
During the 2016-17 season, Faulkner was honored with the Midwest Region’s Assistant Coach of the Year Award from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). He earned the reward after helping lead the Spartans to a 17-8 overall record and a 7-4 Big Ten record, with the seven conference wins being the most since 1991. The team finished the season ranked fourth in the Big Ten, its best finish since 1988.
Between 2017-19, Faulkner helped lead the Spartans to three-straight seasons with a winning Big Ten record. This marks the first time in Spartan women's tennis program history in which the team has had three-straight winning Big Ten seasons.
During his time at Michigan State, Faulkner has helped coach many of the Spartan women’s tennis greats, including the winningest overall player in Athena Trouillot and first team All-Big Ten selections Marina Bohrer and Erin Faulkner.
Most recently, Faulkner coached two top 10 winners in Emily Metcalf and Davina Nguyen. Nguyen became the winningest doubles player in program history with 68 wins, while Metcalf ranks fifth with 60 wins. Nguyen is also the second most winningest singles and overall player with 74 singles wins and 142 overall wins. The doubles duo qualified for the main draw of the ITA All-American Championships in the fall of 2017, after receiving a No. 14 ranking in the ITA Preseason National Doubles Rankings.
Faulkner came to Michigan State after having served three seasons as the men's and women's assistant tennis coach at Troy University. Before Troy, Faulkner was a volunteer assistant coach for the men's team at the University of Alabama, where he helped lead the Crimson Tide to a top-25 national ranking and an NCAA Tournament berth. Prior to that position, Faulkner was an assistant coach for men's and women's tennis at his alma mater Berry College from 2006-08. Berry was a perennial NAIA top-10 team during his stint. Faulkner started his coaching career at Colby College in Waterville, Maine during the 2005-06 season, where he helped lead the team to its first ever national ranking.
Faulkner started his collegiate tennis career at Georgia Perimeter College. During his freshman season he earned a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championship. At Georgia Perimeter, Faulkner earned three All-American honors in singles and doubles. Faulkner then transferred to Berry College and was a two-time NAIA All-American in doubles and never dropped below a top-10 national ranking. The former doubles standout led the Vikings to the NAIA National Tournament twice in his tenure, advancing to the quarterfinals his junior season.
Faulkner graduated from Berry in 2005 with a degree in communications with a concentration in public relations. He earned his master's degree in sport and fitness management at Troy University in 2010.
Faulkner's family includes his wife, Autumn.
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