Award Honorees

David Stearns was inspired to become a coach because of his love for tennis. His first job as a tennis coach came when he was just 15, and he continued coaching throughout high school, resuming again near the end of college. Tennis had always been a significant part of his life, both on the court and as a coach. This passion led him to coach at Minnetonka, where he remained for more than 30 years.

Stearns started coaching junior varsity tennis for girls and boys at Minnetonka in 1990, eventually moving to coach the varsity teams a few years later. He remained in that role for the rest of his career until he retired in 2020. Stearns’ final year as a coach was the best year for the girls’ tennis team in the history of Minnetonka. The team had a record-breaking 14 games winning streak—12 of those victories coming in at 7-0. The other two games ended 6-1. Impressively, eight of the girls on Stearns’ team had perfect records that season.

“It’s truly meaningful when an adult spots a strength in you that even you didn’t see, pulls you out of the weeds, and pushes you to shine bright,” said one of his former players, Abby Steiger '15. “He pushed me and believed in me more than I believed in myself, which is one of the most invaluable experiences for a kid.”

Outside of coaching tennis, Dave Stearns also worked as a special education teacher at Minnetonka High School.

“He absolutely loved helping others grow and develop, both as tennis players and as people,” explained Brent Stearns, David’s son. “He was passionate about being a transformational coach, which was about more than just tennis. He loved seeing kids develop into young adults, preparing them for the next chapters of their lives, whether in school, sports or beyond. My father was everything a coach should strive to be—a mentor, a friend, a father figure. He not only achieved significant success in his own tennis career, but he also helped guide many young players to collegiate success.”

Throughout Stearns’ coaching career, a consistent theme was his belief that his players already had the potential to win and to become their best selves. Stearns was there to guide them and show that all they needed to do was work hard and “give yourself permission to win”—a phrase he often used. Stearns’ impact will be felt in the Minnetonka schools community for years to come.