SE: Jordan Smith Ready to Take Next Step, Lead K-State Tennis

By Corbin McGuire

Jordan Smith was in the K-State tennis storage room, organizing a few items, when he received a text from Scott Garrett, Executive Associate AD for External Operations/Chief Revenue Officer and the team's sport administrator.

Garrett wanted to meet with Smith, who was named K-State's interim head coach when Danielle Steinberg accepted the head coach position at the University of Colorado a few weeks earlier. Specifically, Garrett wanted to deliver the news in person, that after an extensive search, Smith was determined to be the best candidate.

The job, to lead the program as its permanent head coach, was his.

"I was just pumped," recalled Smith, who came to K-State as an assistant in 2015 and was promoted to associate head coach in January. "It felt really good to hear that, knowing that they had faith in me and trust that I can lead this team and continue to keep this momentum going."

The team, most of which is out of the country for the summer, found out last Friday via a videoconference. The players' reactions matched that of their "new" head coach.

"We're so happy because Jordan is a wonderful coach," Maria Linares, the 2018 Big 12 Freshman of the Year and one of the few in Manhattan over the summer, said. "He has a passion for us, and we like that."

Presenting the new #KStateTEN head coach...

A familiar face, Jordan Smith (@coachjordyksu)! pic.twitter.com/NyjsJreEGM
— K-State Tennis (@KStateTEN) July 2, 2018

"We're ecstatic. We've been pulling for Coach Jordan. We definitely thought he deserved it, was ready for it and he'll continue to take us in the direction we started to go in this past year. The familiarity, on and off the court, will just be incredible," Meghan King, a sophomore last season, added. "He knows the game so incredibly well and he always pushes us to find our new limits and we keep expanding on those."

This opportunity for Smith, a 29-year-old from Memphis, Tennessee, is the culmination of decisions he's made since he was six. At that age, his mother wanted him to learn an instrument. His father, a karate teacher, hoped Smith would follow his footsteps.

"I hated both," Smith laughed.

At a summer camp he attended, however, a tennis class was offered twice a week. Smith found that he enjoyed the sport, was good at it and, most importantly, it was his "way out" of learning an instrument or karate.

"I've just never looked back," he said. "I've been going full speed since I was six."

By Smith's sophomore year of high school, he received an opportunity to train at an academy in California. While the chance to turn professional — every young tennis player's dream — never came to fruition for Smith, his eyes were opened to another possible path when college-recruiting letters started arriving.

Smith landed back in his hometown playing for the University of Memphis. Immediately, he fell in love with the team environment collegiate tennis presents. It's a transition all players, international and Americans, who are used to playing individually go through when they start to compete in the NCAA.

As a student-athlete, Smith played No. 1 singles and doubles for the Tigers. He reached as high as a No. 47 rank in the country in doubles in 2010. He finished his playing career in 2011 with a 48-26 doubles record and a desire to continue his life in tennis through coaching.

This ambition was first sparked from the time Smith had put in coaching some summer camps. He also helped out the men's team as a student assistant, adding more interest to idea of coaching long term.

In 2012, he became a volunteer assistant for the Memphis women's team while also working as a full-time instructor at a country club. In 2014, he accepted the assistant coach position for Middle Tennessee State's men's team.

At each stop, Smith said his calling became clearer.

"Helping people feel passionate about a sport that I love. That was the biggest thing, giving back and trying to help other kids and other tennis players reach the best of their ability," Smith said. "That's what I do it for."

Smith brought his passion to K-State in the summer of 2015. He said he felt welcome as soon as he arrived and saw a program with great potential, making the urge to look elsewhere fade quickly.

"I'd never really experienced a college town before but, coming here, everyone embraces you and the support around the athletic department, you don't get that at many places," he said. "It's a no-brainer that I want to continue being here and doing well, being successful."

With Smith's help, K-State has steadily improved. This past season, the Wildcats won the second-most matches (15) in school history and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003. They then beat Kentucky in dramatic fashion in the first round.

From her assistant to her successor, former head coach Danielle Steinberg believes Jordan is the right person to be the new #KStateTEN head coach pic.twitter.com/E9PrgeO6o4
— K-State Tennis (@KStateTEN) July 2, 2018

Along the way, Smith witnessed many of the types of moments that sold him on coaching in the first place.

He rattled off at least one for each player on last year's team.

There was the time freshman Margot Decker won a two-plus hour, gritty three-set match to clinch K-State's first victory over Baylor since 2011. There was the rapid maturation of Ines Mesquita, who went 0-3 in three-set matches as a freshman and 10-3 in them as a sophomore.

"That's what I do it for," Smith said. "Those moments right there because that means all the hard work and everything you put in and give, it means something."

Smith also complimented the leadership displayed by senior Carolina Costamagna in her final season. Similarly, he said Carolina Lewis, a senior transfer, brought a great "team-first mentality" that rubbed off on the rest of the Wildcats.

King, Smith said, brought constant positivity and he described her as the team's "biggest supporter." On the court, he said freshmen Anna Turco, Rosanna Maffei and Linares all adjusted quickly to Division I tennis and each played through pain at one point or another to help push K-State to its best season in 15 years.

All in all, the foundation and culture has been established. Now, Smith said, it's time to build.

"They're great around each other. They enjoy it. That bond they have is really exciting because every successful team is built on continuity," Smith said. "We know that we already have the pieces that we want. Now, it's about how much further can we go?"

If the team ascends as quickly as its new head coach did in his career, the Wildcats have a lot to look forward to. Smith is the first to point out, however, he did not get here without plenty of help.

His biggest influences include Stephen Lang, who got Smith heavily involved with competitive tennis early on; Ben and Zibu Ncube, Smith's two coaches out in California; Paul Goebel, the men's head coach at Memphis; Lee Taylor Walker, the TCU head women's coach who was at Memphis when Smith was a volunteer assistant; and, of course, Steinberg, who worked alongside Smith the last three seasons.

"Everything I did, every interaction I had, every kid I coached, every place I worked, all those experiences I've cherished and utilized, and it's what got me here," Smith said. "Each person and place kind of propelled me to take the next step."

Kansas State University Athletics

SE: Jordan Smith Ready to Take Next Step, Lead K-State Tennis

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Players Mentioned

Carolina Costamagna

Margot Decker

Meghan King

Carolina Lewis

Maria Linares

Rosanna Maffei

Ines Mesquita

Anna Turco

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