‘Breaking Serve’: Former KU tennis coach addresses FBI case, prison time in book
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Michael Center recounts arrest, conviction and prison time in new memoir
- Book outlines Center's coaching success and personal fallout post-scandal
- Center shares life lessons through 'five pillars' aimed at broader audiences
Hoping to help others navigate difficult times, former Manhattan High School and University of Kansas tennis standout Michael Center has written a book detailing the roughest period of his own life.
That would be 2019 and 2020 in which the then-Texas Longhorns men’s tennis coach was arrested by FBI agents, pleaded guilty to a federal crime and served a harrowing 6-month prison sentence as a result of his involvement in the Operation Varsity Blues college admissions scandal.
That’s the legal situation that resulted in the arrests of more than 50 individuals (including nine college coaches as well as actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman) accused of being involved in a scheme to falsify exam scores and bribe coaches for athletic admissions.
Center — his happier times in life include winning a Kansas Class 6A state high school singles title at MHS in 1982 and Big Eight singles crown at KU in 1985 — packed a lot of information in his 131-page book, “Breaking Serve, From Championship Coach to Prison — and the Journey Back.”
In his college coaching career, the 61-year old Center directed KU’s men’s and women’s teams to a combined four Big Eight titles (1992, 1994, 1995, 1996) as well as Texas’ men’s team to five Big 12 championships (2006, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2018), three Final Fours (2006, 2008, 2009) and a national finals appearance (2008). In the book co-written by KU grad Jeff Cravens, Center described his early-morning arrest by FBI agents at his Austin, Texas home.
He recounted being fired at UT shortly after his arrest and the devastation of not being allowed to coach a Longhorns team that went on to win the NCAA title.
He explained his reasons for offering a guilty plea to two counts of “conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud” and described the time spent in a 10-by-10 cell at Three Rivers Federal Corrections Institution in Live Oak County, Texas, and surviving COVID while behind bars.
In the closing pages of a book that included testimonials from fellow college tennis coaches, athletic directors, players and family members, Center shared with readers “five pillars” that transformed his life: “Empathy, Role Clarity, Purposeful Process, Standards Over Goals, and How to Compete.”
“That’s the goal. The goal is to help people from every walk of life,” Center said. “Not just the people in our world that know me or have played tennis, but everybody.”
One of Center’s closest friends, former KU head coach (1982-92) and current TCU assistant Scott Perelman, said in the book he appreciates Center’s reaching out in an attempt to support others.
“I met Michael when he was 17-years-old. He was a sponge. The more and harder I coached him, the harder he played. I knew he would be an outstanding coach. He was organized, motivated and was a great communicator,” Perelman wrote of Center. “Even in his darkest times in prison, he would think, ‘What would I tell my players in this moment?’ He has rebounded like a champion and I look forward to watching coach Center excel again.”
Center said he will forever be grateful to Perelman, who phoned him every day for a year to make sure his embattled former player was OK.
“When my life was turned upside down, he was the first person in line to help. Calling me every day is just who he is. I really don’t think I would be where I am today without him,” Center told The Star. “I love him like a brother or a father. He has said things to me many times that should not be repeated. That is what you can do when you really care about someone. He taught me that, and it ended up being my foundation in coaching and life.”
Center explained that, “other than my parents, Scott Perelman has been my greatest mentor. He and I met in the fall of 1982 when I entered KU as a freshman. We have spoken regularly since 1982 and I confided in him about all aspects of my life. He advised me and taught me so much. His greatest lesson was how to connect with people. He taught me the value of caring. He was hard on me as an athlete, but I always knew he really cared about me. I think many of his former players would say the same thing.”
Perelman was one of many individuals to write and call Center during the time Center served in prison and a halfway house from April 2020 until September 2020.
“My crisis revealed two things to me,” Center wrote in the book. “One was I had some amazing friends who were more incredible than I could have ever hoped. These friends ran to me when I was in trouble. They never questioned who I was and stood with me in a time of need unlike I could have imagined.
“The other side saw people I thought were my friends run the other way,” Center added. “Many I had gone out of my way to help get jobs or just make it through college. Crisis makes some people run.”
Why Center pled guilty to fraud charges
Those reading the book (it is available at breakingserve.com, Amazon and Barnes & Noble online), will be fully educated on details of the government’s case against Center.
The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts, in a February 2020 news release summarized its version of the case against Center this way:
“Beginning in 2014, Center agreed with William ‘Rick’ Singer and Martin Fox, the former president of a private tennis academy in Texas, to accept a $100,000 bribe in exchange for designating the child of one of Singer’s clients as a recruited student athlete at U-Texas. On Nov. 23, 2014, Singer emailed the student’s high school transcript and application essays to Fox, who forwarded them to Center.
“Center emailed the materials to the administrator in the U-Texas athletics department so that the student, who did not actually play tennis competitively, would be coded as a student-athlete. In March 2015, Center informed the student’s father that U-Texas would be sending the student a letter of intent for a ‘books’ scholarship, which provides funding for a student’s textbooks, as part of the athletic recruitment process.
“In April 2015, the student returned a signed letter of intent to play tennis for U-Texas, and, at Center’s instruction, was added to the team roster and then admitted to U-Texas. The student’s father made three separate donations of stock totaling $631,564 to Singer’s sham charitable organization, the Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF). Singer paid Center $60,000 in cash and $40,000 to the U-Texas tennis program.”
Center has countered that some other individuals at UT knew about the student’s application for enrollment, which was approved. He also pointed out he donated much of the money to the construction of a tennis facility at Texas.
Though not agreeing with the charge of defrauding the university, Center has admitted he made a mistake in accepting money, some for his personal use.
After being told the U.S. government wins 95% of its criminal cases against individuals, Center pleaded guilty. He said he did so to not drain his family finances in what could be a long legal battle.
“Pleading guilty to fraud was the only time in the process where I wasn’t truthful. I knew I had not defrauded Texas. … But I was terrified that the financial cost of fighting the system would bankrupt my family,” Center wrote in the book. “I remembered the promise I had made to my family the night I was arrested, assuring them that their lives would not change.
“Trying to prove my innocence means I would have to fight both the federal government and the University of Texas. Mentally I couldn’t slow things down. I just wanted it to be over.”
He added it was “convenient for Texas to make me a scapegoat. They were not going to step forward and confirm my account of the story. It was extremely hard to come to terms that I had mistakenly thought for 19 years (he coached there from 2001-18) Texas athletics was a family. It was a brand now in full protective mode.”
He wound up receiving a stiffer sentence than expected and entered Three Rivers minimum security prison on April 6, 2020. He left prison on Aug. 11, 2020 for a halfway house where he completed his sentence after a five-week stay.
Where is Michael Center today?
What’s he doing now?
Center currently is a tennis academy director in Fort Worth, Texas, and helps the TCU men’s team. He also works with a real estate investment group, raises capital and gives leadership and motivational speeches. Center is available to book speaking engagements at his breakingserve.com website.
“My memories from my Kansas days are amazing,” Center told The Star. The 1986 KU grad (master’s degree from KU in 1990) worked as tennis coach at KU from 1989-96. He also was head coach two years at TCU prior to heading to Austin, Texas.
In three seasons with the Kansas women’s team, he led the Jayhawks to a 39-28 dual match record, including a 16-5 mark in Big Eight competition. In 1991-92, KU won the Big Eight title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. Center was named coach of the year in the Big Eight Conference and NCAA Central Region that season.
Following the 1992 season, Center was named director of tennis for KU and became head coach of the men’s program.
The Jayhawks went 83-28 in duals during Center’s four seasons, including a 29-2 mark in Big Eight play. KU also recorded a streak of 25 consecutive league wins. His last three squads at KU went undefeated in league play, claimed Big Eight Conference team titles each year and advanced to the NCAA Championships in each of those three seasons.
He was named Big Eight and Regional Coach of the Year from 1994-96.
“I am still good friends with so many people that I worked with or were my teammates. I also stay in touch with several people I got to know in Lawrence.,” Center said. “Kansas Athletics truly allowed me to develop as a person and athlete. The memories are great and what I learned was so invaluable. I owe a lot to KU.”
He has been heartened by positive comments regarding ‘Breaking Serve’ and words of encouragement offered to him on his Facebook page.
“I just keep receiving some amazing messages, amazing responses about the book,” Center said. “I get messages every day. The book is going great. I appreciate all the support.”
