DeKALB – Former NIU men’s tennis head coach Patrick Fisher was formally charged with domestic battery that occurred on Oct. 3, 2023. The case was deemed a misdemeanor.

According to a court record from the 23rd Judicial Circuit Court of DeKalb County, Fisher became upset with his wife because “their dog had an accident in the dog’s cage.” Fisher proceeded to hit his wife multiple times in the back of the head with a shoe.

Fisher’s wife left the house after the incident to “take the dog for a walk and create time to calm down.” When she returned, Fisher was waiting for her in the driveway, according to the court record.

Following another verbal argument, Fisher’s wife stated Fisher punched her in the head. Following the incident, Fisher’s wife went to a nearby friend’s house and called the police. Fisher was questioned at the scene but was not arrested, according to the court record.

“Patrick later advised to officers that their argument did get physical,” according to the court record.

Neither Fisher nor his attorney, Marc D. Wolfe, could be reached for comment despite multiple attempts.

Fisher officially resigned as NIU men’s tennis head coach on Nov. 30, 2023, according to his resignation letter. No official announcements have been made by NIU Athletics.

Fisher served as NIU men’s tennis head coach since 2009 and led the Huskies to three MAC Regular Season titles in his 14-year tenure. The Huskies finished the 2020-2021 campaign with a 21-3 overall record, Fisher’s best season at the helm. 

On April 3, 2022, Fisher became NIU men’s tennis’ winningest coach in school history with his 187th victory as the Huskies’ skipper. Fisher finishes his NIU career with a 201-129 overall record.

NIU men’s tennis does not currently have a head coach listed. The team is being led by graduate assistant Shao-Yu Yu for the time being.