NEW YORK — A legend in the world of college tennis, Columbia Tennis Alumni and Friends Head Coach Bid Goswami will retire from his post following the conclusion of the 2019 season after an illustrious 37-year career, Peter Pilling, Campbell Family Director of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Thursday. Goswami will be succeeded by current associate head coach Howard Endelman '87CC.
 
Upon his retirement, Columbia's men's tennis head coaching position will be renamed the Bidyut K. Goswami Head Coach of Men's Tennis as an endowment was established in his name in 2007.
 
"Bid Goswami is synonymous with Columbia University and Columbia men's tennis," Pilling said. "He is a genuine, humble leader who has always been focused on helping his student-athletes achieve more than they ever thought they were capable of accomplishing both on and off the court. To compete consistently on a national level while displaying the highest level of academic success is truly remarkable. We owe him a heartfelt thank you for his lifetime contributions to our tennis program."
 
Over the past 37 years, Goswami has laid the foundation for the future success of Columbia tennis, continually placing the Lions in the national rankings season after season. The winningest coach in the history of Columbia tennis with a 493-196 record, Goswami has led the Lions to an astonishing 13 Ivy League titles, including five-straight conference championships from 2013-18.
 
"It has been my absolute privilege and honor to serve as Columbia University's men's tennis coach these last 37 years," wrote Goswami in an emotional message to alumni, fans and friends. "I am confident our program is in a very healthy and strong position now, so it feels this is the perfect time for me to retire. How apropos then – and most exciting for me – that my very first recruit, Howard Endelman, will take over the helm for Lions tennis."
 
Endelman '87CC, will take over the reins after nine seasons on the Columbia coaching staff under Goswami. As associate head coach, Endelman has played a huge role in the Lions' recent success. A four-year student-athlete for the Lions from 1984-87, Endelman was a standout player, helping the team to two Ivy League titles, and was inducted into the Columbia Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.
 
"As a member of Bid's first recruiting class, it has been an honor to play for, work with and now succeed a true legend, mentor and close friend," said Endelman. "To borrow one of Bid's favorite phrases, he has left his 'footprints in the sands of time' at Columbia by impacting the lives of so many of us in such a meaningful, significant and special way."
 
"For more than three decades, Bid has been the heart and soul of the men's tennis team at Columbia University," former Columbia University Trustee Philip Milstein said. "His outstanding record of accomplishments is remarkable, along with his special qualities as a role model, teacher and leader. In every way, Bid has created a Columbia tennis community that will live on through the hundreds of young men who played for him and now are part of the family."
 
"On behalf of the entire Ivy League, I congratulate Bid on his impending retirement following an illustrious career," said Executive Director of the Ivy League Robin Harris. "Throughout his 37-year career, Bid fostered a program culture that was rooted in Ivy League ideals, featuring achievements on the court and in the classroom while preparing his student-athletes for lifelong success. I wish him the very best in retirement and thank him for his commitment to Columbia, the Ivy League and collegiate athletics."
 
In all, Goswami has guided Columbia to 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament three times and achieved the first top-five national ranking in program and Ivy League history. He has coached players who received a total of four All-America honors as well as seven Ivy League Player of the Year recipients, 46 All-Ivy League doubles players, and 69 All-Ivy League singles players honors. Goswami was named the first-ever Ivy League Men's Tennis Coach of the Year in 2015.
 
Additionally, Goswami led the Lions to the Sweet 16 of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Indoor Team Championship four times. Columbia is the only Ivy League school to ever reach the Sweet 16 round in the history of the tournament. His 13 Ivy League titles rank as the second-highest total won by a head coach in Columbia Athletics history behind fencing coach George Kolombatovich, who won 17 men's titles and eight women's championships in 33 years from 1979-2010.
 
Between the ITA Indoor Championship and the NCAA Tournament, Columbia is among elite company with seven Sweet 16 appearances in the last 10 team nationals. The Lions represent one of 14 programs with at least seven appearances over that span.
 
A former touring pro, Goswami succeeded another ex-touring pro at Columbia, Paul Gerken, in November 1982. He was a member of the Indian Davis Cup squad in 1974-75 and won the Indian National singles title in 1979 and the doubles title in 1978. A native of Assam, in the foothills of the Himalayas, Goswami earned a bachelor's degree in business from St. Xavier's College of Calcutta University in 1973 and competed for St. Xavier's in tennis from 1970-73. After leaving the tour, Goswami became a club professional and served as the director of tennis at the Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York from 1977-2012.
 
In his first full season as Columbia's head coach, Goswami won his first Ivy League title, finishing 17-1 with an unblemished 9-0 record in conference matches. After placing second the next two years, he led the 1987 team to a 15-3 mark and another Ivy League championship, going 9-0 in the former Eastern Intercollegiate Tennis Association (comprising the eight Ivy League schools plus Army and Navy).
 
Columbia would win the 1994 Ivy League title behind a 12-3 (9-0 conference) season, then post back-to-back Ivy crowns from 2000-01. From 2007-10, the Lions hoisted the Ivy League trophy three times, before the current streak of five consecutive Ivy League championships began in 2014 through 2018.
 
The 2014 campaign marked another special accomplishment as the Lions advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the first time in program history behind a school-record 22 wins. Columbia's season-ending loss – only its second of the season – came to No. 1 Southern California, which went on to win the national championship.
 
Since the 2014 season, Goswami has reached the Sweet 16 twice more, in 2015 and 2018. The 2018 season saw the Lions host the NCAA Championship First and Second Rounds for the first time in program history.
 
Since taking over the program in 1982, Goswami has had over 15 players go from Columbia to the professional tour, including Jeff Chiang, the 1990 Collegiate Senior Player of the Year, Phil Williamson, the 1987 EITA Player of the Year, Max Schnur, who competed in the 2017 Wimbledon main draw, ATP Tour player Winston Lin and Rob Kresberg, who went on to become the women's tennis coach at Columbia from 1994-2007.
 
The sustained success by Goswami throughout his tenure clearly solidifies him as one of the most significant coaches in Columbia history and in all of college tennis.
 
Goswami and his wife, Anne, reside in South Salem, New York. Their son, Blaise, is a graduate of Princeton University and their daughter, Linnae, a 2009 graduate of Columbia College, is a former captain of the Lions' women's tennis team.
 
GOSWAMI BY THE NUMBERS
3 – NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Appearances (2014, 2015, 2018)
4 – ITA Indoor Team Championship Sweet 16 Appearances (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
4 – All-American honors (Jeff Chiang – 1990; Oscar Chow – 2003; Winston Lin – 2014-15)
4 – Ivy League Rookies of the Year (Jonathan Wong – 2007; Haig Schneiderman – 2009; Winston Lin – 2012; Dragos Ignat – 2013)
5 – Highest ITA Team Ranking (Feb. 27, 2018)
6 – Ivy League Players of the Year (Phil Williamson – 1987; Salil Seshadri – 1998; Oscar Chow – 2003; Winston Lin – 2014; Shawn Hadavi – 2016; Victor Pham –2018)
13 – Ivy League Championships (1984, 1987, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
13 – NCAA Tournament Appearances
37 – Seasons at Columbia
46 – All-Ivy League Doubles Players
69 – All-Ivy League Singles Players
493-196 – Career dual record
 
And counting.