COACHING STAFF
TOM CASTRONOVO
Director of Tennis, Head Varsity Coach-Boys, JV1 Coach-Girls
The Spring 2026 Boys season will be Coach Castronovo’s 18th season of coaching high school tennis. Coach Castronovo, a Benet Academy graduate, is a two-time winner of the Illinois High School Tennis Coaches Association (IHSTCA) Varsity Coach of the Year(region 1), was a finalist for State of Illinois Varsity Coach of the Year and has won multiple Conference Championships and IHSA Sectional Championships.
His players - which have included 34 State Qualifiers and 3 State Championship Medalists - have earned 53 All-Conference Awards, and 16 All-State Awards. His teams have been in the top 10 in State 3 times and top 20 in State a total of 7 times. In 2025 - his first season at Benet - his girls team went 22-1-1 winning the East Suburban Catholic Conference Championship. Coach Castronovo, who is on the teaching staff at Naperville Tennis Club, is a USPTA(United States Professional Tennis Association/RSPA(Racquet Sports Professionals Association) certified instructor and provides personalized private and group lessons during the year.
As Boys & Girls Tennis Program Head at Benet, Tom brings his love for the game, high standards, and energy to the program and is dedicated to teaching and exemplifying the leadership and life skills this lifetime sport and high school athletics provide.
Tom earned his BA in economics from Knox College and MBA in finance/marketing from Indiana University's Kelly School of Business. Tom is a licensed Wealth Management Professional/Financial Advisor/Accredited Investment Fiduciary and owns his own boutique Wealth Advisory Firm.
BRAD PIHL
Varsity Girls Tennis Coach
Brad has been coaching girls tennis at Benet since 2013 with most of those years at the JV level. In 2025 - his first Varsity season at Benet - his girls team went undefeated at 23-0, winning the ESCC Championship and qualifying 3 girls to the State Championships.
Brad is also the men’s head tennis coach at Wheaton College since 2006. Brad is a graduate of Wheaton Academy and Wheaton College where he competed in tennis at both levels.
Wheaton College has finished in the top four of the conference standings with a winning record in CCIW play in every season of Pihl's tenure, and he has coached 12 All-Conference players since 2018. Pihl was named CCIW Coach of the Year for a second time in 2017, leading Wheaton to a CCIW title.
GREG STRINE
Boys JV1 Coach & Girls JV2 Tennis Coach
Greg is a PTR certified tennis Instructor and has been coaching at Benet since 2025. Greg is a graduate of Glenbard West High School where he played on the tennis team and Bradley University. Greg is a retired executive of Vector Marketing where he was inducted into Vector's Hall of Fame. Currently, Greg is a coach at Life Time Sport and Racquet in Burr Ridge and operates his own small business.
KEITH BUNKENBURG
Boys JV2 Tennis Coach
Keith has a long tenure of coaching at both the high school and college levels. A St. Patrick High School and Benedictine University graduate, Keith was the Head Basketball Coach at Benedictine University from 1995 until 2022. The NIIC “Coach of the Year” for both the 1999-00 and 2000-01 campaigns, Bunkenburg was named Illinois’ NCAA Division III “Coach of the Year” in both 2000 and 2004 while earning IBCA Coach of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2020. He was also the NACC "Coach of the Year" for the 2015-2016 season and again in 2016-17.
Keith had also served as the head men’s and women’s tennis coach and the head men’s and women’s golf coach during his tenure at Benedictine. Keith also served as an Associate Director of Athletics at Benedictine. Besides boys tennis, Keith currently coaches Girls JV Flag Football and girls basketball at Benet and serves as a PE teacher at a local Catholic grade school.