Chris Young
Chris Young, former head men's and women's tennis coach at Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City, Okla., has been named head women's tennis coach at Wichita State, it was announced today by Director of Athletics Jim Schaus.
"Chris Young is a tremendous hire for our athletic program,” Schaus said. “Chris brings quality experience along with energy and enthusiasm to the position. He is also very familiar with our area and will be an excellent recruiter and representative for our program."
Young, 26, has served as head coach for both the men's and women's teams since the fall of 2003. Young guided his program to a combined record of 36-19 in 2004, while leading the women's squad to their first ever NAIA Region VI Championship. Both teams finished ranked in the top 10, with the women ranked No. 5 nationally and the men ranked No. 9. For his efforts, Young was named the 2004 Sooner Athletic Conference Coach-of-the-Year for both men and women, and was also named the NAIA Region VI Women's Coach-of-the-Year
"I am excited to become a member of the Shocker athletic family," Young said. "I am thankful to Jim Schaus and the administration for the opportunity. Wichita State women's tennis has a rich tradition, and I plan to bring the program back to the top of the Missouri Valley Conference and contend on the national level. This is the beginning of a great era at Wichita State."
The Norman, Okla., native served as interim head coach for both teams at OCU in 2002, and led both teams to national top 10 finishes. In 2002 he was named head women's tennis coach and named associate head coach for the men's team in the spring of 2003, and experienced success with both squads as the men's team won the 2003 NAIA National Championship, the first ever national championship for OCU, and the women's team advanced to the "Sweet 16" of the NAIA National Tournament.
During his tenure at OCU, Young coached a total of 20 All-Americans and eight scholar-athletes, a CoSIDA Academic All-American, and the 2004 Intercollegiate Tennis Association Rookie-of-the-Year.
A 2000 graduate of Oklahoma Christian with a Bachelor of Science in Communications and Liberal Studies, Young began his collegiate coaching career at OCU as a graduate assistant coach in 2000, and was quickly promoted to assistant coach for both the men's and women's teams in 2001. Young began coaching as a teaching pro in Ardmore, Okla., and an assistant coach at Ardmore High School in 1999.
Prior to his collegiate coaching career, Young was a three-time letterwinner for OCU as a player. He helped lead the Eagles to top-five finishes in each of his three seasons as a player. A 1996 graduate of Norman High School, Young was a state finalist as a senior and an academic all-state performer.
Active in the community as a youth minister in Oklahoma City, Young is married to the former Sarah English of Clarksville, Ark., and the couple has a son, Braden, born in August, 2003.
