SE: Megan Kurey Brings Lengthy Resume of Success to K-State Tennis
Sep 10, 2018 | Tennis, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
When K-State head tennis coach Jordan Smith began looking for an assistant coach in July, his wish list of qualifications boiled down to three main areas: Success as a coach, success as a player and, more specifically, success in doubles.
Megan Kurey checked all the boxes.
"We needed someone who had been at the level that we're trying to achieve," Smith said, "as a player and as a coach."
Again, good luck trying to find someone who fits that bill better than Kurey.
As a player at Georgia Tech (2012-16), she was named an All-American in 2014. The year before, she and Kendal Woodard won the USTA/ITA indoor doubles national championship at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., home to the U.S. Open. The Yellow Jackets also made the NCAA Tournament every year Kurey was on the team, winning at least one match in each postseason trip and twice advancing to the Sweet 16.
Last season, Kurey served her alma mater as a volunteer coach. Georgia Tech went on to reach the Final Four for the second time in program history. Kurey helped coach Paige Hourigan and Kenya Jones, the No. 1-ranked doubles team in the country for the last three weeks of the 2017-18 season.
"I've been where these girls are now, so I think that helps a lot. I'll be able to relate to them pretty much in every aspect. I know what it takes to be at the top level," Kurey, named K-State's assistant on August 3, said. "Knowing the success on the players' side but also the coaching side, I think that will help in this new role. I'm excited to work with Jordan and really get this team going."
"Obviously being able to coach at Georgia Tech this past year and be in the Final Four, they beat the likes of Georgia and Duke — teams that are the elite, premier of their league," added Smith, who was named K-State's head coach in July after Danielle Steinberg accepted the head job at Colorado. "So the fact that she's had that success on the other side, and that's where we want to go — the Sweet 16, Elite Eight and, ultimately, even better — it's good to have someone who's coached at that level."
Ironically, Kurey said her on-court success had little to do with her desire to get into coaching after her playing days were finished. Instead, she said it was a lingering foot injury, which sidelined her for portions of her junior and senior seasons, that spurred her interest.
"Being on the bench and acting as the third coach of our team, that's what really sparked it, what made realize that I wanted to go into it after I was done playing," Kurey, a two-year captain at Georgia Tech, said. "My junior year is really when I realized it because I was the captain of my team and I had to be at every practice and every workout, even though I couldn't participate. That just sparked my interest in it. After that, I knew it's what I wanted to do.
"It was hard, at first. Obviously, being an athlete, injuries are not fun, not what you want to deal with, but it was a great learning experience. And, in my case, it made me realize that coaching is what I wanted to do. So, looking back, I'm actually thankful for my injury and what it brought me to."
What it brought her to was a K-State team coming off its best season in 15 years.
Last season, the Wildcats made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003, with a lineup that included four freshmen and one sophomore. Among this young group were Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Maria Linares, and Second Team All-Big 12 pick, Margot Decker. The youth-filled Wildcats beat Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for their 15th victory of the season, tied for second-most in program history.
"I've seen that this team has progressed throughout the years, especially when Jordan has been here," Kurey said, as K-State's first official practice is set for Wednesday. The Wildcats will compete in the Big 5 Challenge next week in Fort Worth, Texas. "It's an exciting year. This team is looking very strong already and we have a lot of talent, so I'm just really looking forward to getting started."
One area that can help push this year's team to a higher level of success, Smith and Kurey agreed, is doubles.
In 26 dual matches last season, K-State won only 10 double points. The Wildcats went 10-0 in those matches. Their 5-11 record when they lost the doubles point is both a testament to the singles talent on the team and the potential to rack up even more wins with improvement in doubles.
"That's why it was really important to get someone who can bring a fresh take on our doubles and maybe rejuvenate some areas where we're struggling. That was really key," Smith said, adding that he's enjoyed picking Kurey's brain about doubles. "I'm already excited. My girls actually asked her about doubles (during her interview) because they want to get better. So that was important to them that we had someone with a strong doubles approach and background."
Kurey said her expertise in doubles stems back to her early start in tennis, around age 6 or 7. The Georgia native said her junior coach "focused on volleys and doubles" right away, giving her a jumpstart on most players by the time she was in college.
Now, she can't wait to pass on what she knows to K-State's players.
"That's something we're really going to focus on this year and I'm really looking forward to it because I love doubles," she said. "Being with a partner on the court, being able to work together and the strategic side of it is so interesting to me. Once you really get the game of doubles it's so much fun and so exciting to be part of. I'm really looking forward to bringing my doubles experience and knowledge to the team."
When K-State head tennis coach Jordan Smith began looking for an assistant coach in July, his wish list of qualifications boiled down to three main areas: Success as a coach, success as a player and, more specifically, success in doubles.
Megan Kurey checked all the boxes.
"We needed someone who had been at the level that we're trying to achieve," Smith said, "as a player and as a coach."
Again, good luck trying to find someone who fits that bill better than Kurey.
As a player at Georgia Tech (2012-16), she was named an All-American in 2014. The year before, she and Kendal Woodard won the USTA/ITA indoor doubles national championship at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., home to the U.S. Open. The Yellow Jackets also made the NCAA Tournament every year Kurey was on the team, winning at least one match in each postseason trip and twice advancing to the Sweet 16.
Last season, Kurey served her alma mater as a volunteer coach. Georgia Tech went on to reach the Final Four for the second time in program history. Kurey helped coach Paige Hourigan and Kenya Jones, the No. 1-ranked doubles team in the country for the last three weeks of the 2017-18 season.
"I've been where these girls are now, so I think that helps a lot. I'll be able to relate to them pretty much in every aspect. I know what it takes to be at the top level," Kurey, named K-State's assistant on August 3, said. "Knowing the success on the players' side but also the coaching side, I think that will help in this new role. I'm excited to work with Jordan and really get this team going."
"Obviously being able to coach at Georgia Tech this past year and be in the Final Four, they beat the likes of Georgia and Duke — teams that are the elite, premier of their league," added Smith, who was named K-State's head coach in July after Danielle Steinberg accepted the head job at Colorado. "So the fact that she's had that success on the other side, and that's where we want to go — the Sweet 16, Elite Eight and, ultimately, even better — it's good to have someone who's coached at that level."
Ironically, Kurey said her on-court success had little to do with her desire to get into coaching after her playing days were finished. Instead, she said it was a lingering foot injury, which sidelined her for portions of her junior and senior seasons, that spurred her interest.
"Being on the bench and acting as the third coach of our team, that's what really sparked it, what made realize that I wanted to go into it after I was done playing," Kurey, a two-year captain at Georgia Tech, said. "My junior year is really when I realized it because I was the captain of my team and I had to be at every practice and every workout, even though I couldn't participate. That just sparked my interest in it. After that, I knew it's what I wanted to do.
"It was hard, at first. Obviously, being an athlete, injuries are not fun, not what you want to deal with, but it was a great learning experience. And, in my case, it made me realize that coaching is what I wanted to do. So, looking back, I'm actually thankful for my injury and what it brought me to."
What it brought her to was a K-State team coming off its best season in 15 years.
Last season, the Wildcats made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003, with a lineup that included four freshmen and one sophomore. Among this young group were Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Maria Linares, and Second Team All-Big 12 pick, Margot Decker. The youth-filled Wildcats beat Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for their 15th victory of the season, tied for second-most in program history.
"I've seen that this team has progressed throughout the years, especially when Jordan has been here," Kurey said, as K-State's first official practice is set for Wednesday. The Wildcats will compete in the Big 5 Challenge next week in Fort Worth, Texas. "It's an exciting year. This team is looking very strong already and we have a lot of talent, so I'm just really looking forward to getting started."
One area that can help push this year's team to a higher level of success, Smith and Kurey agreed, is doubles.
In 26 dual matches last season, K-State won only 10 double points. The Wildcats went 10-0 in those matches. Their 5-11 record when they lost the doubles point is both a testament to the singles talent on the team and the potential to rack up even more wins with improvement in doubles.
"That's why it was really important to get someone who can bring a fresh take on our doubles and maybe rejuvenate some areas where we're struggling. That was really key," Smith said, adding that he's enjoyed picking Kurey's brain about doubles. "I'm already excited. My girls actually asked her about doubles (during her interview) because they want to get better. So that was important to them that we had someone with a strong doubles approach and background."
Kurey said her expertise in doubles stems back to her early start in tennis, around age 6 or 7. The Georgia native said her junior coach "focused on volleys and doubles" right away, giving her a jumpstart on most players by the time she was in college.
Now, she can't wait to pass on what she knows to K-State's players.
"That's something we're really going to focus on this year and I'm really looking forward to it because I love doubles," she said. "Being with a partner on the court, being able to work together and the strategic side of it is so interesting to me. Once you really get the game of doubles it's so much fun and so exciting to be part of. I'm really looking forward to bringing my doubles experience and knowledge to the team."
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