Matthew Gordon, the assistant coach for the University of Kentucky’s men’s tennis team, has just been named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s (ITA) national Assistant Coach of the Year. This is a historic win for the team, as it marks the first time any coach (assistant or head) in the program has won an ITA National Award. The announcement was made on Monday, and Gordon was praised by the team’s head coach, Cedric Kauffmann, for his dedication and hard work towards improving the program and its players.
Gordon has been with the team for five years, during which he has helped the Wildcats reach the NCAA Tournament every year, with a runner-up finish in 2022 being their best result. This season, the team had an impressive record of 27-5, reaching the semifinals at ITA Indoors and making the quarterfinals at the NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 overall seed. The team peaked at No. 2 in the ITA team rankings and finished the year at No. 5, the program’s highest end-of-year ranking since 1997. Additionally, players Liam Draxl and Alafia Ayeni were both named ITA All-Americans, while Joshua Lapadat and Taha Baadi joined Draxl and Ayeni as All-SEC honorees.
Gordon’s coaching has undoubtedly played a huge role in the team’s success, and his efforts have not gone unnoticed. In fact, he has won the ITA Ohio Valley Region Assistant Coach of the Year award for the third consecutive season. He is the only assistant coach in Kentucky’s men’s tennis history to win the award multiple times. With his latest win, Gordon now joins other notable Kentucky Wildcats who have received national awards from the ITA, including Jesse Witten (2002 Rookie Player of the Year), Eric Quigley (2012 Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship), and Liam Draxl (2021 ITA National Player of the Year).
Overall, it is clear that Gordon has made a significant impact on the Kentucky men’s tennis program, and his contributions have played a crucial role in the team’s achievements. His win as the ITA national Assistant Coach of the Year is well-deserved recognition of his efforts towards improving the program and the players’ abilities both on and off the court.
