Camp Director:

ARVID SWAN
HEAD MEN’S TENNIS COACH

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

Arvid Swan, twice named Regional Coach of the Year, has taken the Northwestern University men’s tennis program to new heights since he took over as head coach in 2008.

In his second season, Swan guided a team that finished the 2008 season unranked and last in the Big Ten to a 2009 year-end ranking of No. 46 in the nation and a tie for fourth in the Big Ten regular season standings with a 6-4 league mark. The team improved from 7-17 to 18-9 in just one year and enjoyed the highest jump in the national rankings over a one-year period (as high as No. 42) of any team in Division I, the second time in Swan’s career that his team has earned that distinction.

Swan followed this turnaround In 2009-10 by leading Northwestern achieve its highest ranking in five seasons when the Wildcats upset then-No. 18 Alabama, 4-3, on Jan. 22.
Swan guided Northwestern to six consecutive NCAA tournament appearances from 2012 to 2017. The team has advanced in the NCAA tournament in 5 of the last 6 appearances in the tournament.

In 2012, Northwestern won 14 dual matches during the regular season and another in the Big Ten tournament against Penn State. The ‘Cats collected seven wins in conference play during the regular season, their highest output since the 2001 campaign, and traveled to Durham, N.C., for the NCAA tournament.

In 2013, the Wildcats enjoyed one of the most prolific seasons in school history posting 22 dual match victories, the second most in school history and one off of the school record. At the NCAA tournament, the Cats defeated #19 Wake Forest. Individually, Raleigh Smith won the singles title at the Big Ten Indoor Championships and teamed with Sidarth Balaji to claim the doubles crown.

The 2014 season saw the Wildcats post their second-consecutive 20-win season as they notched a 21-11 record in dual match play. For his efforts, Swan was recognized as the ITA Midwest Region Coach of the Year. Raleigh Smith earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for the second straight season while Sam Shropshire also earned first-team All-Big Ten distinction. Additionally, Shropshire was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and the ITA Midwest Region Rookie Player of the Year. Smith was selected to participate in the NCAA Singles Championship. Northwestern posted a 7-4 mark in conference play and notched 10 of its overall victories over ranked opponents, advancing to the semifinal round of the Big Ten tournament and traveling to South Bend, Ind., to compete in the NCAA tournament.

Chicago’s Big Ten Team posted its third straight 20-win season in 2015, going 21-10 in dual match play. The Wildcats posted their then-best conference mark under Swan with an 8-3 record in Big Ten play. NU reached as high as 14th in the ITA national poll. Sam Shropshire and Strong Kirchheimer received Big Ten accolades in their sophomore seasons. Shropshire was a First Team All-Big Ten selection after a 23-13 season a 9-1 mark in the conference. Kirchheimer led the team in wins with 25 and was Second Team All-Big Ten.

Northwestern had its best season in program history to date in 2016, winning a school record 26 matches and hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament as the No. 14 overall seed. The Wildcats reached as high as No. 7 in the national rankings during the regular season. The team finished second in the Big Ten with a 10-1 mark and won 13 times over top-50 national opponents. Swan was named the ITA Midwest Region Coach of the Year for his efforts. He earned his 150th career win in the second round of the Big Ten tournament against Purdue. Konrad Zieba, Sam Shropshire and Strong Kirchheimer all earned First Team All-Big Ten honors. Kirchheimer posted the 15th 30-win season in program history.
The Wildcats continued their winning ways in 2017, winning their first nine matches en route to a No. 7 national ranking. Northwestern won 22 matches on the year, including five wins over top-50 opponents. The ‘Cats went into the NCAA tournament ranked 21st in the nation and advanced in the tournament. Sam Shropshire wrapped up his remarkable career by earning the Midwest Region’s Arthur Ashe, Jr. Award, presented yearly to a junior or senior who demonstrates outstanding sportsmanship, leadership and character, along with humanitarian accomplishments, scholastic achievements and athletic accomplishments. Shropshire also earned All-Big Ten honors for the fourth time. Strong Kircheimer concluded an outstanding career of his own with a 28-12 record, bringing his career singles wins total to 107, tied for second in program history in singles wins. He also ended his career ranked second in winning percentage (.748, 107-36). He is the all-time winningest doubles player in school history with 72 wins. Kirchheimer, Zieba and Shropshire were all named All Big Ten.

In 2020, the Wildcats finished in the top 30 in the ITA rankings and were trending toward a top 20 finish beating a top 10 team just prior to the season ending due to COVID.

In 2021, the Wildcats again made the semi-finals of the Big Ten tournament and advanced at the NCAA tournament with a 4-1 win against UCLA.

Swan came to Northwestern after one year as the head men’s tennis coach at DePaul University. While at DePaul, Swan improved the team immensely. On the heels of an 8-14 season, Swan’s Blue Demons finished the 2006-07 season with an 18-7 record and reached a ranking as high as No. 58 in the nation.

Prior to taking the position as head coach at DePaul, Swan served as associate head coach at NU from 2003-06. While at NU, Swan helped take the program consistently improve as the Wildcats jumped from sixth in the Big Ten to back-to-back fourth-place conference finishes. He also helped lead the team to a top-40 national ranking twice. In 2004 and 2005, the ‘Cats reached the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. They also made an appearance in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

In his playing days, Swan was world-ranked professionally in singles and doubles before moving into the coaching ranks. While at Michigan, Swan was the recipient of the Scholar-Athlete award in 1995 and earned his way onto three Academic All-Big teams from 1996-98. In 1996, Swan was elected to the All-Big Ten team as the Wolverines went on to win the Big Ten championship. Swan captained the squad until his graduation in 1998.

Camp Director:

CHEMA CARRANZA
ASSISTANT MEN’S TENNIS COACH

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

Jose Maria “Chema” Martin de Oliva Carranza joined Northwestern University as an assistant men’s tennis coach on September 12, 2025.

Originally from Sevilla, Spain, Chema began playing tennis at just two and a half years old and has carried that passion throughout his life. He competed at the collegiate level for the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he earned a degree in Mathematics and Physics while achieving a national ranking as high as No. 2 in the country.

Before arriving at Northwestern, Chema coached at DePaul University, where he helped guide the men’s tennis program to historic success. As assistant coach, he led the team to their first-ever Big East Championship, and as volunteer assistant coach, he contributed to two more titles in just three years—marking three championships in four years.

Outside of tennis, Chema built a successful career in the corporate world as a top sales representative at Loadsmart. While excelling in that role, he ultimately decided to return to his lifelong passion for tennis and coaching, bringing both competitive experience and leadership skills back to the court.

Off the court, Chema enjoys golf, staying active in competition, cooking, traveling, and spending time with his wife, friends, and their rescue dog, Luna.