George Mason men's tennis head coach Gary Quam has announced his retirement after 26 years as the Patriots head coach, Director of Athletics Brad Edwards announced today.

“When I first started as an assistant coach at Mason in 1989 I had no idea I would be here for 26 years,” said Quam. “Over that time I have seen the university grow into a world class institution, allowing me the opportunity to work with many bright and committed student-athletes. It's been quite a journey, and now it's time for me to move on to other things, and for someone else to have that coaching opportunity.”

“I want to thank Gary for his strong commitment of almost three decades of service to George Mason and the tennis program,” said Edwards. “He has shown a tremendous dedication to the student-athletes and to Mason and we really appreciate all that he has given to the program throughout the years. He will be missed. We wish him the best in retirement.”

The Patriots team wrapped up one of their most memorable seasons in recent history at the Atlantic 10 Championship. The sixth-seeded Patriots upset No. 3 Davidson, 4-3 to earn a spot in the semifinals, where the team fell to No. 2 VCU.  Three Patriots men's tennis student-athletes, James Lange, Aaron Capitel and Tanner Baine, earned Atlantic 10 All-Conference accolades as voted on by the league's head coaches. Capitel also earned honors for his work in the classroom as a member of the all-academic team, which is voted on by the league's sports information directors.

Quam began at Mason in 1988-89 as an assistant coach before assuming leadership of both the men and women's tennis teams the following year. He guided the men's and women's programs for nine consecutive seasons before focusing solely on the men's team following the 2000-01 campaign.

In 1995, Quam was named the Colonial Athletic Association Men's Coach of the Year after the Patriots had their most successful campaign ever, posting a 14-6 record, including a 6-1 mark in the CAA. The team also enjoyed it's best-ever finish in the CAA Tournament, placing second.