Carl Neufeld, the NIU men’s tennis coach for the past nine years, has left NIU to serve as an assistant at the University of Southern California.

The 1979 NIU graduate accepted the position May 22 after piloting the Huskies to a nine-year mark of 177-103 (.632). He will serve as an assistant under USC coach Dick Leach.

“It wasn’t an easy decision because I have enjoyed my 14 years in DeKalb and made many lasting friendships,” Neufeld said. “I’ll always consider DeKalb home, but I’m very happy with the opportunity and challenge presented in coaching at a program like USC. They’re one of the top three programs in the country and I hope to help them in their pursuit of a national championship.”

Neufeld, 32, played tennis at NIU, where the two-time Huskie captain was the No. 1 singles player and the squad’s Most Valuable Player his senior year. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree in finance.

He took over as NIU’s head coach midway through the 1981 season and was named the Mid-American Conference Co-Coach of the Year in 1986. Neufeld led the Huskie netmen to 20-win seasons in each of the last four seasons, including a career-best mark of 31-9 in 1989.