Clemson’s Men’s Tennis Coach Chuck Kriese is Honored

Feb. 5, 2008

CLEMSON, SC–Clemson Head Men’s Tennis Coach Chuck Kriese has been named National College Coach of the Year by the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) as announced by the organization Tuesday.

The award will be presented to Kriese during the PTR International Tennis Symposium on Hilton Head Island, SC on February 18-20.

Clemson Head Coach Chuck Kriese became the Atlantic Coast Conference’s all-time winningest coach during the 1995 season with a 7-0 victory over Virginia Tech on February 4. He currently has a 670-399 record at Clemson.

Clemson is one of the top teams nationally as far as appearances in the NCAA team tournament. The Tigers went to 11 straight NCAA team tournaments between the years of 1979 and 1989, the second longest streak of NCAA tournament appearances in Clemson team sports history. Under Kriese, in the 24 total appearances, Clemson has a 16-24 overall record. Clemson has reached the Final Sixteen 12 times, and the Final Eight seven times, including 2004. Clemson had seven straight top 10 finishes from 1980-86, third for the longest streak of top 10s in school history regardless of sport.

Clemson won seven straight ACC men’s tennis titles during the 1983-1989 era. Clemson Head Coach Chuck Kriese has led the Tigers to 10 ACC championships and three runner-up finishes since his arrival at Clemson in 1976. Clemson won every ACC Title in the 1980s except 1982 or nine of the 10 contested in that decade. In the history of the ACC tournament, Clemson has won 11 ACC championships. The 1969 championship is the only Tiger title recorded without Chuck Kriese at the helm.

Chuck Kriese is in his 33rd and final season as head coach of the Clemson Tigers. He will retire at the completion of the 2008 season. This is the longest tenure by a head tennis coach in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Doyle Royal was at Maryland for 27 years during the 1954-80 era. It is also the second longest tenure in Clemson history regardless of sport. Former baseball coach Bill Wilhelm spent 36 years at Clemson (1958-93). Kriese passed former football coach Frank Howard. Howard coached for 30 years (1940-69).

Clemson Head Men’s Tennis Coach Chuck Kriese has been National Coach-of-the-Year in two seasons. In 1981 and 1986, he was named the USPTA’s National Coach-of-the-Year. In 1981 he was named Coach-of-the-Year by the ITA, the first time a Clemson head coach had won national coach-of-the-year honors in any sport. Kriese has been named Coach-of-the-Year in the South five times and in the ACC six times. (1980, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1997).

Coach Chuck Kriese is the ACC’s winningest coach as far as total ACC wins are concerned. He broke the league mark with a 6-1 win at N.C. State on April 16, 2000. Kriese has a 165-77 record in ACC play during his career.