Gabe Muterspaugh, left, and Graham McMullen celebrate after clinching the sectional championship over Greenfield-Central. McMullen will take over for Muterspaugh as head coach of the Mt. Vernon boys tennis team this season.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
Staff Report
FORTVILLE — After nearly three decades, the Mt. Vernon boys tennis team will be led by a new but familiar face.
After 27 years at the helm, Gabe Muterspaugh will move to assistant coach of the boys team while maintaining the head coaching position of the Marauders’ girls tennis team.
Graham McMullen will take his spot as head coach of the boys team and will serve as an assistant to Muterspaugh on the girls team.
“My passion for MV tennis is still there and always will be. My passion to watch my own kids right now in their sports and activities is priority No. 1,” Muterspaugh said. “The boys program is in perfect hands to take the next step with coach Graham McMullen and I will be his assistant coach. We will flip it in the spring to keep MV rolling and reaching new heights.”
Over the course of 27 seasons, Muterspaugh has accumulated 646 wins (315 boys, 331 girls) and has led the Marauders to 18 county titles, 20 sectional titles, and three regional finals.
Under his leadership, 34 Marauders have been selected to the all-state team, and Muterspaugh himself has been selected Hoosier Heritage Conference coach of the year eight times and has been named District 4 Coach Of The Year three times.
He currently serves on the Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association (IHSTECA) Board, a position he has held since 2007.
“Coach Muterspaugh has been a mainstay in the Mt. Vernon athletic community for nearly three decades and has made a tremendous impact on the growth and development of the boys and girls tennis programs at Mt. Vernon. His summer youth camps are something that students within our district look forward to every year because Gabe does such a great job of making tennis fun,” Mt. Vernon athletic director Brandon Ecker said. “We are excited that Gabe will remain involved with the boys program and will continue to lead our girls’ program as he carves out more time to support his twins (currently in 7th grade).”
McMullen brings a wealth of playing and instructional experience to the Mt. Vernon program, having previously served as an assistant coach with the Marauders boys and girls teams.
Graham spent the 2022 fall season leading the Hamilton Southeastern boys’ tennis team, which finished the season ranked No. 7 in the final polls.
“I am excited to return to Mt. Vernon as the head coach for the boys tennis and assistant coach for the girls programs. Throughout the past four years, being the assistant coach for both programs and leading McMullen Tennis Academy clinics, I have had the opportunity to work with many Hancock County tennis players. Mt. Vernon has a great sense of community, and I am honored to be welcomed back with open arms,” McMullen said. “The students are hard-working, motivated, and passionate. It is a blessing to be trusted in further building the Mt. Vernon tennis community, and I cannot wait to see the boys’ hard work pay off this season.”
Graham founded McMullen Tennis Academy in 2019, providing competitive group tennis clinics along with private lessons focused on developing well-rounded athletes.
McMullen was a four-year letterman at Pendleton Heights, graduating in 2013. Graham played collegiately at Wabash College and Butler University, where he graduated with a degree in Biology. He also holds a masters degree in Biomedical Engineering from Purdue University and is currently a Project Engineer at Rolls Royce.
“Anytime you undergo change after a long tenure by a coach, there is undoubtedly a fear of the unknown. However, we were fortunate to have Coach McMullen as a part of our program already and his wealth of experience instantly puts those concerns to rest,” Ecker said. “Graham and Gabe have established a successful coaching relationship, and we are excited for the trajectory of both our boys and girls tennis programs.”
