Danielle Steinberg - Tennis Coach - Kansas State University Athletics

Danielle Steinberg

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
dsteinberg@kstatesports.com
Phone:
(785) 532-7198

Coaching Experience
Head Coach, K-State (2014-Current): 47-57 (8-28 Big 12)
Head Coach, McNeese State (2012-14): 29-17, .630
Head Coach, WTA Tour's Romina Oprandi (2011-12)
Assistant Head Coach, Wichita State (2010-12)
Student Assistant Coach, Arizona (2009)

Education
BA in Social and Behavioral Science (Magna Cum Laude), Arizona, 2009
Master's in Sports Management, Wichita State, 2012

Playing Experience
Arizona, 2005-09

Steinberg's Trophy Case
2018 ITA Central Region Coach of the Year
2014 Southland Conference Coach of the Year
2014 All Louisiana co-Coach of the Year
2009 Pac-10 Spring Scholar Athlete of the Year
2009 Pac-10 Post-Graduate Scholarship recipient
Three-time NCAA Singles Championship qualifier (2006-08)
Four-Year letter winner (2005-09)

Danielle Steinberg, an emerging talent within the women's tennis coaching community, was named the seventh head women's tennis coach at K-State in July 2014.

Steinberg guided K-State back to the postseason for the first time since 2003, as it qualified for the 2018 NCAA Division I Tennis Championship for just the fourth time in program history. The Wildcats reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament after a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over No. 26 Kentucky in the first round in Evanston, Illinois.

Following the Cats' run, Steinberg was tabbed 2018 ITA Central Region Coach of the Year as the Wildcats equaled their second-most wins ever in a spring campaign (15). K-State finished tied for fifth in the Big 12 with a 4-5 mark, its highest finish since 2012.

The 2018 Wildcats were highlighted by a group of talented freshmen, including Margot Decker, who played the entire season at the top spot in the lineup, and Maria LInares, who earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors and was named ITA Central Region Rookie of the Year.

K-State consistently found itself in the ITA's rankings in the 2018 season, reaching as high as No. 28 and finishing the year as the 39th-ranked program in the country.

In 2017, the Wildcats notched their most wins (11) as a team in five years and finished the season ranked No. 10 in the Oracle/ITA Central Region rankings.

Known for her recruiting prowess, Steinberg replaced a four-member senior class from the 2016-17 season with the country's 14th-ranked recruiting class, according to TennisRecruiting.net. Featuring players from all over the globe, the newcomers will pair with senior Carolina Costamagna and sophomore Ines Mesquita. During her freshman campaign in 2017, Mesquita led the team with four Big 12 victories while also collecting Big 12 Player of the Week honors.

In her third full season at the helm of the Wildcats, Steinberg guided a group featuring four seniors to the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Championship for the third consecutive season. The Wildcats finished their dual campaign with an overall record of 12-15 (2-7 Big 12).

The 2016 Wildcats featured no seniors but managed to crack the national rankings twice and reach the Big 12 Women’s Tennis Championship quarterfinals for the second year in a row. The standouts became freshmen Ana Garcia Navas and Millie Stretton, who combined for 35 singles wins and played No. 1 doubles together by the end of the campaign. Garcia Navas earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors in February while Stretton was selected to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team at the conclusion of the year.

As a team, K-State picked up key wins over Colorado and No. 50 SMU at home as well as Big 12 victories over West Virginia and Iowa State. The 11 dual triumphs for the Wildcats matched their most in a season since 2011 and improved upon the nine wins in Steinberg’s first year in 2015.

Away from the court and in the classroom, the Wildcats have maintained a strong academic profile. Last year, four Wildcats were named Academic All-Big 12, bringing the number of such accolades under Steinberg to nine. The team also garnered its third straight ITA All-Academic Team honor in the summer of 2016.

In her two seasons at McNeese State, Steinberg guided the women's tennis team to unseen heights with a 29-17 overall record including a 2014 Southland Conference Coach of the Year honor and 2014 All-Louisiana co-Coach of the Year honors.

In 2014, Steinberg guided the Cowgirls to a 16-7 overall mark, including a 10-2 record in Southland Conference action which resulted in a number three seed in the conference tournament. At the conclusion of the season, the Cowgirls achieved the first top-10 regional ranking in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) regional rankings in the program's history. McNeese State's 16-7 overall record was the first time the Cowgirls finished a season with 15 or more wins since the 2005 season.

For the second straight season, Steinberg mentored the Southland Conference Player of the Year and the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year, Klaudia Gawlik and Sara Castellano. Gawlik registered an unblemished 12-0 singles record in league play and notched an 18-2 overall singles record. Castellano, who was also selected as the All-Louisiana Freshman of the Year, finished her debut season with an 18-3 singles record and a 13-6 mark in doubles action.

The Cowgirls were also successful in the classroom in 2014, as they were selected as an Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Academic Team, with five student-athletes earning ITA Scholar-Athlete honors. Individually, Gawlik was named the Southland Conference Tennis Student-Athlete of the Year.

In her first season with McNeese State in 2013, Steinberg led the squad to the program's first winning season in eight years with a record of 13-10 and included a trip to the Southland Conference tournament.

Steinberg's team also received postseason accolades, as Gawlik earned Southland Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors as well as All-Louisiana co-Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors. Gawlik capped off her freshman season with a perfect 21-0 singles record and an 8-0 record from the number one position in the Cowgirls' lineup. Gawlik ended the 2013 season ranked 13th in the ITA Southern Region.

Prior to taking the head position at McNeese State, Steinberg served as an assistant head coach for Wichita State from 2010-2012. In her first year, Steinberg was met with the challenge of working with six freshmen. With four of the freshmen in the starting lineup, the Shockers went undefeated in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2011 and 2012 and advanced to the NCAA tournament both years. She also coached 11 Missouri Valley Conference individual champions while with the Shockers.

While at Wichita State, Steinberg gained recognition from her peers, when she received the opportunity to coach Romina Oprandi in the WTA tour. With Steinberg's coaching, Oprandi advanced to the third round of the Australian Open after knocking off a Top-10 WTA player. Steinberg also played a vital role in improving Oprandi's No. 88 world ranking to No. 61.

Before assuming her position at Wichita State, Steinberg began her coaching career at her alma mater, Arizona. She served as a student-assistant where she helped plan and conduct practice and conditioning sessions as well as assisted with administrative duties such as recruiting and team travel.

As a player at Arizona, Steinberg represented the Wildcats from the top of the team's lineup as the No. 1 singles player and team captain throughout her career. She was a three-time Pac-10 All-Conference pick and was the Pac-10 Toyota Spring Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2009. Steinberg was also named to the 2006 Academic All-American team and was a three-time Academic All-Pac-10 selection. Steinberg also won the ITA Arthur Ashe Award for Sportsmanship and Leadership in 2009.

A native of Tel Aviv, Israel, Steinberg graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Arizona with a BA in Social and Behavioral Science. She also received a MEd in Sport Management from Wichita State in May 2012.

What They Are Saying About Danielle Steinberg
McNeese State Director of Athletics Bruce Hemphill

"The Kansas State tennis program, Athletic Department, and University just got better with the hiring of Danielle Steinberg. She is a loyal, caring, focused, and dedicated coach. Her athletes were from lands far away, yet we made drastic improvement on the court, our tennis team had the highest GPA in the athletic department and were always happy and enthusiastic. Most of this success is because of Danielle."

Wichita State head women's tennis coach Colin Foster

"Danielle was instrumental in the recruitment and development of championship teams during her two years at Wichita State. More importantly, Danielle has an infectious passion for tennis and for the young ladies she leads. We learned a lot from each other and she continued to grow as a head coach at McNeese. She will do an outstanding job at K-State and will be well liked by Wildcat fans and the tennis community in Manhattan. I am excited to have a great coach and friend in the region and know her teams will compete valiantly, successfully, and always with class."

Arizona head women's tennis coach Vicky Maes

"Danielle Steinberg is a great hire for K-State. She is a talented young coach who will surely take the program to the next level. Her passion for the game was always apparent when she competed for us and she will bring this same attitude to her new team for sure."