Spencer named NC State men’s tennis coach

Kyle Spencer has been selected to lead the N.C. State men’s tennis program, Wolfpack athletic director Debbie Yow announced Wednesday.

Spencer, a former Olympian and an All-American at Southern California, comes to the Wolfpack after spending more than four seasons as an assistant coach at Southern Methodist University, while also having previous ACC head coaching experience at Maryland when Yow was the Terrapins’ AD.

“Kyle has an unrelenting work ethic that fits well with our Wolfpack Culture,” Yow said in a statement. “He has a track record of strong success at all levels, and familiarity within our league.”

Spencer served as an assistant for two programs (USC, Baylor) that reached the Final Four.

“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,” Spencer said in a statement. “Wolfpack tennis will strive to compete and win at the highest level on the court and in all academic pursuits.”

In four full seasons at SMU, Spencer helped lead the Mustangs to a record of 64-43 and two straight NCAA Tournament appearances in 2016 and 2017. The 2016 Mustangs finished with a record of 22-9, advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, and concluded the season with a national ranking of 22nd.

Spencer was the head coach at the University of Maryland from 2009-12, where he worked with Yow. He was voted the 2012 Wilson/ITA Atlantic Region coach of the year and led the Terrapins to several firsts, including the first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history during the 2010-11 season, and the first NCAA Tournament victory (over No. 20 Michigan).

Spencer’s 2011 and 2012 squads won the President’s Cup at Maryland, honoring the program with the highest team GPA.

As a player, Spencer represented his native Great Britain in doubles at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and won seven professional titles on the ATP Tour. He reached his highest ATP doubles ranking (No. 126 in the world) during the summer of 2000 and was a four-time main draw participant at Wimbledon.

This story was originally published June 14, 2017 at 1:51 PM with the headline "Spencer named NC State men’s tennis coach."