With a resume that includes a diverse and successful playing and coaching career, Kyle Spencer is in his first season as Maryland's men's tennis coach.
The Terps landed the former Baylor assistant director of tennis and reigning national assistant coach of the year in June 2009.
Spencer, who has also coached at the professional level and played in the Olympics, spent the last three seasons at Baylor, which finished among the top 10 nationally each year. The Bears also captured both the Big 12 Conference regular season and tournament titles each of those seasons.
Spencer and the Bears had another successful run last season, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2009 NCAA Championship and finishing the year No. 7 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings.
For his efforts, Spencer was named the 2009 ITA National Assistant Coach of the Year.
Baylor finished eighth in the 2008 ITA rankings and fourth in 2007 when the Bears reached the semifinals of the NCAA Championship. Following the 2007 season, Spencer received the ITA South Central Region Assistant Coach of The Year award.
Spencer also coached the 2008 USTA Summer Collegiate team, an elite training program for the top Americans.
Spencer, who coached under three-time National Coach of the Year Matt Knoll, had a hand in grooming Baylor All-Americans Lars Poerschke and Denes Lukacs over the last three years.
In addition, he has coached on the ATP Tour. One of his pupils, Robert Kendrick, made the second-highest yearly jump on the 2006 ATP Tour World Rankings, improving from No. 375 to 73rd in just 10 months.
Spencer also coached ATP doubles player Ashley Fisher to a world ranking of No. 24. Fisher and his partner Tripp Phillips advanced to the semifinals of the 2005 U.S. Open.
The Bears were also successful in the classroom during Spencer's stint in Waco, Texas, as Dominik Mueller earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI honors last month and Michal Kokta was an Academic All-American in 2007.
Spencer played and coached at USC, where he was an Academic All-Pac-10 and All-America selection.
The Trojans made the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship twice during his four years (1995-98) on the court. Spencer earned All-America honors after reaching the finals of the 1997 NCAA Doubles Championship.
After graduating from USC, Spencer had a successful career on the ATP Tour. He won seven pro titles and reached as high as No. 126 in doubles on the ATP Tour.
Spencer also represented his native Great Britain in doubles with partner Barry Cowan at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Upon retiring from the ATP Tour, Spencer became a Trojans assistant coach for two years (2004-05). The Trojans reached the semifinals of the 2004 NCAA Championship.
