The NC State men’s tennis program has found its new head coach in former Olympian Kyle Spencer, NC State Athletics announced Wednesday.
Spencer is filling the position left vacant by Jon Choboy, who stepped down as head coach after 15 years following the 2016-17 season. Spencer has spent the last four seasons at Southern Methodist University serving as an assistant coach. Before his time at SMU, Spencer was the head coach at Maryland for three years.
Spencer also served as an assistant coach at Baylor and Southern California, where he totaled two NCAA Final Four appearances. He also helped lead Baylor to three-straight Big 12 championships from 2007-09. He was named the 2009 ITA National Assistant Coach of the Year.
At Maryland, Spencer worked under current NC State Athletics Director Debbie Yow. Spencer led Maryland to one NCAA Tournament appearance and was also named the 2012 Wilson/ITA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.
“Kyle has an unrelenting work ethic that fits well with our Wolfpack culture,” Yow told NC State Athletics. “He has a track record of strong success at all levels, and familiarity within our league. I applaud (Deputy AD) Michael Lipitz on a thorough and efficient search. We welcome Kyle, his wife Kacie, and their son Max to the Wolfpack family.”
As a player, Spencer had success at both a college and professional level. He was an All-American at Southern California, where he reached the championship match of the NCAA Tournament in doubles in 1997. As a professional, he participated at Wimbledon four times and represented Great Britain at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
“I would like to thank Debbie Yow and Michael Lipitz for entrusting me with leading the Wolfpack men’s tennis program,” Spencer told NC State Athletics. “I believe the ACC to be the elite conference for men’s tennis, and I can’t wait to get started in the development of our student-athletes. Wolfpack Tennis will strive to compete and win at the highest level on the court and in all academic pursuits. I am excited for this new challenge and I look forward to reaching out to the NC State tennis alumni, and the tennis community of Raleigh and the surrounding area.”
