Steinberg Announces Promotion of Smith to Associate Head Coach
Jan 09, 2018 | Tennis
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head women's tennis coach Danielle Steinberg announced the promotion of Jordan Smith to associate head coach for the 2018 season on Tuesday.
Smith, who is in his third season at K-State, has helped guide the Wildcats to double-digit victories and a berth in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Championship in each of the previous two seasons.
"Jordan deserves every bit of this promotion and we are thrilled for him," said Steinberg. "Throughout the past two and a half years, he has been instrumental in building the culture of this program, making it better, step by step."
A well-known recruiter, Smith played a large role in bringing the nation's No. 14 recruiting class to Manhattan for the 2017-18 season, according to TennisRecruiting.net. The national recruiting recognition was the highest of any Big 12 program in 2017 and best in K-State history.
The young talent propelled K-State to one of its most successful fall seasons in recent history. The Cats picked up a total of five individual tournament titles and combined for a 44-27 singles mark and a 41-18 doubles record. Four Wildcat freshmen posted a collective record of 25-11 in singles play while going 25-7 in doubles, with a total of four victories over nationally ranked opponents.
Additionally, the team has earned all-academic recognition from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) each season under Smith. K-State had 14 Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll nods in the last academic year – seven in the fall, seven in the spring.
"I think in our situation, the assistant coach title wasn't really a depiction of the daily work, as Jordan and I work hand-in-hand on all aspects of the program," Steinberg added. "Jordan is an example of every one of the program's core values. He is a hard worker who always pushes himself to the limit, regardless of his comfort zone, and he does it with great appreciation of the program and the entire athletic department. We are very fortunate to have him."
Prior to his time at K-State, Smith most recently served as an assistant with the Middle Tennessee men's tennis program, where he helped the Blue Raiders to a 13-13 record while also being responsible for the 25th-best recurring class in 2015.
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Smith spent his playing career at the University of Memphis from 2007-11, where he played at the No. 1 singles and doubles positions and reached as high as a No. 47 ranking in doubles during the 2010 season. He compiled a 48-26 doubles record for the Tigers while collecting a pair of ITA tournament championships.
In addition to playing at Memphis, Smith was a volunteer assistant coach for the Tigers' women's tennis program in 2012 and helped guide the team to a 16-5 record. After his coaching stint with the Tigers, Smith worked with the U.S. International Indoor Championships as well as coached junior team competitions.
The Wildcats embark of their spring dual campaign on January 18 at UMKC before traveling to take on Florida International on January 21 in Miami. K-State begins its home schedule against North Texas on Friday, February 9 at 3 p.m., and vs. Washington State on Sunday, February 11 at 11 a.m. Both matches are scheduled indoors at Body First Tennis Center in Manhattan.
Smith, who is in his third season at K-State, has helped guide the Wildcats to double-digit victories and a berth in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Championship in each of the previous two seasons.
"Jordan deserves every bit of this promotion and we are thrilled for him," said Steinberg. "Throughout the past two and a half years, he has been instrumental in building the culture of this program, making it better, step by step."
A well-known recruiter, Smith played a large role in bringing the nation's No. 14 recruiting class to Manhattan for the 2017-18 season, according to TennisRecruiting.net. The national recruiting recognition was the highest of any Big 12 program in 2017 and best in K-State history.
The young talent propelled K-State to one of its most successful fall seasons in recent history. The Cats picked up a total of five individual tournament titles and combined for a 44-27 singles mark and a 41-18 doubles record. Four Wildcat freshmen posted a collective record of 25-11 in singles play while going 25-7 in doubles, with a total of four victories over nationally ranked opponents.
Additionally, the team has earned all-academic recognition from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) each season under Smith. K-State had 14 Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll nods in the last academic year – seven in the fall, seven in the spring.
"I think in our situation, the assistant coach title wasn't really a depiction of the daily work, as Jordan and I work hand-in-hand on all aspects of the program," Steinberg added. "Jordan is an example of every one of the program's core values. He is a hard worker who always pushes himself to the limit, regardless of his comfort zone, and he does it with great appreciation of the program and the entire athletic department. We are very fortunate to have him."
Prior to his time at K-State, Smith most recently served as an assistant with the Middle Tennessee men's tennis program, where he helped the Blue Raiders to a 13-13 record while also being responsible for the 25th-best recurring class in 2015.
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Smith spent his playing career at the University of Memphis from 2007-11, where he played at the No. 1 singles and doubles positions and reached as high as a No. 47 ranking in doubles during the 2010 season. He compiled a 48-26 doubles record for the Tigers while collecting a pair of ITA tournament championships.
In addition to playing at Memphis, Smith was a volunteer assistant coach for the Tigers' women's tennis program in 2012 and helped guide the team to a 16-5 record. After his coaching stint with the Tigers, Smith worked with the U.S. International Indoor Championships as well as coached junior team competitions.
The Wildcats embark of their spring dual campaign on January 18 at UMKC before traveling to take on Florida International on January 21 in Miami. K-State begins its home schedule against North Texas on Friday, February 9 at 3 p.m., and vs. Washington State on Sunday, February 11 at 11 a.m. Both matches are scheduled indoors at Body First Tennis Center in Manhattan.
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