Duquesne University athletics hired Budi Susanto in August 2022 to be its new Director of Tennis. Susanto will oversee both the men’s and women’s programs. He is the 13th person to fill this role in Duquesne tennis history.
“It is my honor and privilege to be the next Director of Tennis at Duquesne University,” said Susanto. “This is such an exciting opportunity for me and I can’t wait to get started. With the support from everyone in the athletic department at Duquesne, I believe we can compete at the highest level moving forward.”
“Duquesne has always been a place that I feel is special, and I can tell the athletic department supports the same values, culture and goals that I have as a coach. There is such a talented group of successful student-athletes within the program, both on the court and in the classroom. I’m looking forward to connecting with them and building on the tradition here to take it to the next level.”
Susanto has worked and lived in the Pittsburgh area for over 20 years and is very familiar with the Duquesne tennis program. He comes to the Bluff after serving as the Director of Tennis at Alpha Tennis and Fitness, which is where the Dukes play their home matches, since 2017.
During his time at Alpha Tennis and Fitness, Susanto primarily developed tennis programs for the top-ranked junior tennis players in the region. His players regularly compete in national, international and professional tournaments.
His trainees have gone on to win high school sectional championships, Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) championships and state championships in both singles and doubles.
Susanto has developed tennis players that have gone on to receive scholarships from well over a dozen Division-I schools, including Cornell, Penn State, Georgetown, Denison, Duquesne and more.
In 2018, Susanto was named the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Allegheny Mountain Middle States District Teaching Professional of the Year.
Prior to his stop at Alpha Fitness and Tennis, he was also the Director of Tennis at Lakevue Athletic Club in Valencia, Pa from 2015 to 2017.
His first stop in the Pittsburgh area was at the Pennsylvania Tennis Academy (PTA) in Wexford, Pa., where he served as the Director of Program Development for 15 years starting in 2001.
His first experience coaching at the college level came at his alma mater, State University of New York at Buffalo as the assistant head coach of the women’s team.
While at SUNY-Buffalo as a coach, Susanto oversaw the daily practices and provided one-on-one instruction to student-athletes. He was also active in recruiting, budgeting and transportation.
Susanto was a student-athlete at SUNY-Buffalo from 1998-2001 and ranks 26th all-time in singles victories with 37. He helped lead the men’s team to a 14-7 overall record in his final season.
