MONMOUTH, Ill. — Chad Braun, Monmouth College’s first-year men’s tennis coach and the defensive coordinator for the Fighting Scots football team, would like to follow the lead of what another current MC assistant, Dave Ragone, did for MC men’s golf team.

Like Braun, Ragone inherited a squad that was relatively new to varsity action after a long layoff. Using the motto, “We don’t participate, we compete,” he led the team to a Midwest Conference title in 2002, the Scots’ fourth season of golf since 1982.

Although the Monmouth men’s tennis team went 0-11 in dual meets last spring in their first season of varsity competition since 1992, Braun believes his program can also make a steady rise to the top of the Midwest Conference.

“We’re in a building stage, and we’re a work in progress,” said Braun prior to last Saturday’s season-opening action in Pella, Iowa, where the Scots dropped a pair of 7-0 decisions to Wartburg College and host Central College. “We’re not ready yet to storm to the top of the conference.”

But Braun believes he has the tools to get there, especially in terms of facilities. With the college’s new $1 million MC Tennis Stadium and the four new indoor courts at the Huff Athletic Center, Braun says, “We probably have the best facilities in the conference. That’s a tribute to our president. He’s a tennis guy, and he’s helped build these great facilities. He’s given me the opportunity to be successful as a coach.”

Braun has been a big part of the football team’s rise from eight wins in a five-year period to 8-2 records in both the 2001 and 2003 seasons, and his tennis team has already shown signs of improvement. Dan Schultz, who was the No. 2 singles player last season, is No. 4 this year. Freshman Ryan Bruso and sophomore transfer Jimmy Jordan are the new No. 2 and No. 3 players, respectively.

Of Bruso, Braun says, “He’s got the complete game. He’s a complete package and he’s a really solid player.” Bruso nearly emerged from Pella with the Scots’ first singles victory of the season, but he fell 6-4, 3-6, 11-9 in a marathon match with his Wartburg opponent.

Jordan, whose brother Brian is also on the squad, “is a scrapper,” said Braun. “He’s a competitor. He’s going to get to everything.”

Holding down the No. 1 spot for the second straight year is hard-hitting Lance Everhart.

“He’s a pounder,” said Braun. “He can bring it with the best of them. He’s got a big serve and a big forehand.”

After Schultz, Braun anticipates going with several players in the No. 5 and No. 6 slots, including Scott Flynn, Tom Moore, Greg Bouslog and Brian Jordan.

In Monmouth’s opening action, the latter two players picked up a victory for the Scots, winning the No. 3 doubles match 9-7.

“We have some definite goals,” said Braun, who was a No. 1 singles player at Aurora Central Catholic in his high school days. “Last year, we didn’t have a dual win, so definitely we want to get into the win column this year. We’d like to do it early, while we’re still playing indoors. We also want to get a lot of guys experience so they can see what college tennis is all about.”