renevidal – CAI

René Vidal

7x NCAA championship coach and high-performance advisor to organizations operating under pressure.

“The hardest setback for me was the death of my father when I was thirteen years old. My entire life changed with one stroke. When I heard the news, I was dumbfounded. I had no clue what was going on, yet somewhere deep inside I did know. Life was about to get very difficult. I lost the greatest leader and mentor in my life. The whole game shifted.

I went from being a solid student and Ivy League prospect to attending three different New York high schools. I dropped from serving as a top 100 nationally ranked junior tennis player to a has-been overnight—having access to the best coaches, resources, and training academies to searching for hitting partners or the local backboard. My life became a total mishit.

When you experience devastating emotional and existential crises like this, every other kind of challenge pales in comparison. You become unstoppable by the mere fact that you are still breathing. Today, I’m on a mission to help others turn adversity into competitive advantage.”

René is one of America’s top coaches.

—Dick Gould, Stanford University

René Vidal is a seven-time NCAA championship coach, USA High Performance Coach, speaker, and founder and CEO of Corporate Athletes International, a boutique high-performance advisory firm helping leaders and organizations execute at elite levels under pressure.

Recognized as one of America’s top coaches, René works with CEOs, founders, executive teams, and competitive organizations to elevate standards, drive execution under pressure, strengthen accountability, and sustain excellence without burnout. His approach combines championship-level coaching principles, leadership psychology, and organizational performance systems developed through decades of leading elite teams.

In collegiate athletics, René has led four NCAA programs to seven conference championships, multiple national rankings, and historic program turnarounds.

At Northern Illinois University (NIU), René led the Huskie men’s tennis program through one of its most successful modern eras.

In 2026, NIU reached the MAC Championship Final for the first time since 2019, finished 18-8 (tied for the third-most wins in a season since 1995), and produced the MAC Player of the Year for the first time since 2008 and only the third in program history. In 2024, the program finished 18-6, reached the MAC Championship semifinal, and earned a Top-100 national ranking.

In 2022, he guided the McKendree University men’s tennis program to its first-ever GLVC Championship, a school-record 21–3 season, a No. 22 national ITA ranking, and the program’s first NCAA Round of 32 appearance.

Beyond coaching, René speaks to organizations and executive teams on leadership, culture, and the psychology of winning. His speaking and advisory clients include State Farm, Arkansas Education Association, Boy Scouts of America Executive Council, World Financial Group, Hill Investment Group, and Gateway Government Relations.

René is the author of Down 40 Love, Execute to Win, and Play Smart to Win in Business, and host of the Corporate Athletes Podcast, featuring conversations designed to help leaders meet the moment consistently.

His insights on leadership and high-performance have been featured on Fox2 News, STL-TV, and podcasts including Something Extra and Breaking Back.

Coach Vidal's 5-Point Philosophy

Keep winning and losing in perspective.

Lead by example.

Value character as well as ability.

Go for respect over popularity.

Work hard and enjoy what you do.

“René has been in the trenches and understands what it takes to prepare people for real competitive environments.”

Bobby Bayliss

Notre Dame Head Men’s Tennis Coach

“René prepared us to perform when the moment arrived. When the pressure was highest, we were calm, clear, and ready—and that’s why we made history.”

Leo Frederico

2022 GLVC Player of the Year

“René instills discipline, work ethic, and a winning mentality that consistently shows up in performance.”

Greg Patton

Head Men’s Tennis Coach at Boise State University

“Working with René helped me reconnect with why I started competing in the first place. The joy came back—and with it, my best tennis.”

Manuela Barriga

Mental Health Therapist at St. Francis Community Services

“René strengthened my game—both mentally and physically—so I could perform at my best under pressure.”

Jesse Levine

ATP Singles Career High #69

Working with René means pushing limits, breaking records, and learning to perform at a high intensity—lessons that carry over to leadership and life.”

Boriss Kandem

Business Manager at SII Group Belgium