Former Tiger Ryan Young Joins Staff as Assistant Coach

CLEMSON, S.C. – Former Tiger two-time All-ACC selection and ATP Tour player Ryan Young joins the Clemson men’s tennis staff as an assistant coach. Head Coach John Boetsch made the announcement Thursday afternoon. Young comes to Clemson after spending the past three seasons as an assistant coach at South Carolina.

“We are thrilled to have Ryan back in Tigertown,” said Boetsch. “He is going to bring great energy, passion and fun to our program. He also brings a wealth of experience as a standout player, both at Clemson and on the pro circuit, and as an assistant coach in the Big 10 and SEC. We are fortunate to have one of the top assistants in the country joining our program.”

During his time at South Carolina, Young helped coach the Gamecocks to an NCAA Tournament win in 2014, the program’s first win in the national tournament since 2005. One South Carolina player earned All-America honors, and one doubles team advanced to the Round of 16 of the NCAA Doubles Championships that season as well.

“I’m truly fired up to be back at Clemson and coaching at my alma mater, and I’m thankful to Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich and the Clemson administration for this opportunity,” said Young. “My life changed here when I was a student-athlete, so it’s a dream come true to have the opportunity to give back after everything Clemson has given me.

“To be working with John, a teammate and lifelong friend, is more than I could’ve asked for. His leadership and dedication to the program will undoubtedly have us competing for ACC and national championships in the future.”

Prior to his arrival in Columbia, Young made his coaching debut at Michigan State during the 2012-13 season. That season, he helped the Spartans to seven wins over nationally-ranked opponents, resulting in the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament bid.

Before beginning his coaching career, Young spent five years playing professional tennis. He earned his career-best ATP rankings, No. 551 in singles and No. 413 in doubles, in 2009. He played in ITF Futures tournaments in more than 20 different countries and reached four singles finals and five doubles finals during the five-year span.

Young starred for Clemson from 2004-07, becoming just the 12^th player in program history to win more than 100 career matches in both singles and doubles. He helped the Tigers to four-straight NCAA Tournament berths, including a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2004. Young was featured in the Clemson starting lineup all four seasons of his career, and earned All-ACC honors two times, in 2004 and 2007.

The native of Charleston, S.C. earned his undergraduate degree from Clemson in Sports Management in 2009.