Ryan Young

Former ATP Tour player and two-time All-ACC selection Ryan Young joined the Gamecock men’s tennis staff in July 2013 after making his coaching debut at Michigan State in 2012-13. The Charleston, S.C., native needed just that one season on the sidelines to establish the solid reputation that propelled head coach Josh Goffi to bring him to South Carolina.

“The number one thing that Ryan brings to our program is the trust he built very quickly with every student-athlete,” Goffi said. “It is evident when he goes on court that he is there for the guys. He is not there for himself or there just to create a good tennis player. His interactions with our team are pure honesty, and our guys know that if he confront them or challenges them that it is done out of love and respect. It is a really nice stability and calming power he works from.”

The Gamecocks responded to Young’s arrival, thriving in the way the new assistant complemented Goffi’s approach to their development. His tutelage helped Kyle Koch turn a slow start to the 2013-14 season into an 11-match win streak that helped propel South Carolina into the NCAA Tournament, where it claimed its first win since 2005. During a difficult 2014-15 season, Young’s steady positivity helped the team rally to win three of its last five matches and narrowly miss a fourth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

Young’s addition to the Michigan State staff helped the Spartans to the program’s first NCAA Tournament bid behind a 14-14 record that included seven wins over nationally ranked teams. The season’s highlight came in a 5-2 win over then-No. 29 Northwestern in early April, and the Spartans were ranked as high as No. 40 in 2012-13. The team’s improvement came with much the same roster as the 2011-12 squad that won 18 matches but went winless against ranked teams.

Prior to beginning his coaching career, Young spent five seasons playing professional tennis, competing in over 20 different countries. His 36-36 singles record ranked him as high as No. 551 in the world, and he climbed to No. 413 in doubles during his professional career. Young enjoyed the most success in his first season (2008). Over his five seasons, he reached four singles and five doubles finals in ITF Futures events.

“Ryan’s experiences as a player are important to our program,” Goffi said. “He was grinding it out on the pro tour for five years, similar to me, and that’s important because it shows he’s able to digest a lot of information about coaching techniques. He’s not just teaching out of a book; he’s teaching out of personal experiences that he’s had to work through. That’s where he’s going to be able to connect with our players a little more than some other coaches.”

Young was a standout at Clemson, becoming just the 12th player in school history to win more than 100 matches in both singles and doubles. The two-time All-ACC selection (2005, 2007) led the team in singles and doubles victories as a sophomore (2005), climbing as high as No. 59 in the doubles rankings with Nathan Thompson that season. Two years later, he peaked at No. 53 in doubles teaming with Clement Reix. A part of the Tigers’ starting lineup all four seasons of his career, he helped Clemson to four NCAA Tournament berths, including the 2004 trip to the Elite Eight. The team rose as high as No. 5 in the rankings his junior year and turned in a 31-10 record in his final campaign. Winning 69.6 percent of his career sets (234-102), Young is tied for fourth in school history. Before making his mark in college, Young was a prep standout in Charleston, holding the record for the most boys’ Palmetto state titles with 15 to his credit.

While playing professionally, Young returned to Clemson and completed his bachelor’s degree in sports management in 2009.