By: by Matthew Farhadi
KENNESAW, Ga. – Jeffery Kutac has been named head women’s tennis coach at Kennesaw State University, Interim Athletic Director Scott Whitlock announced on Monday afternoon. Kutac takes the reigns of the Owls program after two-plus seasons as the Elite Tennis Program Director at the Highland Park Independent School District in Texas. He replaces Brandon Padgett, who accepted the women’s tennis head coaching position at the University of Akron in October.
“All of us here at Kennesaw State are very happy to welcome Coach Kutac to the staff as he brings to us a wealth of knowledge and experience,” Whitlock said. “Hopefully we will be able to build upon the momentum that our women’s program has gained over the fall season. We are looking forward to him being here, and coaching our women’s program to bigger and better things in the near future.”
“I would like to thank Scott, and the rest of the Kennesaw State University athletics staff for this great opportunity,” Kutac said. “I am really excited to be here and eager to build on the success that the program has had under coach Padgett over these past few years. I look forward to building this program into an Atlantic Sun Conference title contender, and I will use my prior recruiting experience to bring in strong players from Georgia, the United States and Internationally as well.”
Coach Kutac inherits a Kennesaw State team that took some big steps last season as the team finished with an overall record of 12-12, and was able to achieve some impressive accomplishments as they continue to establish themselves as one of the top programs in the state of Georgia. The Owls made their first ever A-Sun Tournament appearance last season finishing the regular season with a conference record of 4-6, which was good enough for the fifth seed in the tournament. The 12 wins was the most victories the Black and Gold have recorded in a season since making the transition to Division I in 2006.
Coach Kutac has a wealth of collegiate coaching experience that he will bring to Kennesaw State. Prior to being the program director at Highland Park he was the assistant men’s tennis coach at Texas Christian University from 2006-08. In his time in Fort Worth he was involved in all aspects of the program, and in his final season in 2008 he helped lead the Horned Frogs to a 20-8 record, which got them ranked 34th in the nation.
His last head coaching job was from 2004-06 when he coached the men’s tennis team at Monmouth University in the Northeast Conference. Kutac was also a head coach at Florida Southern College from 2002-04 and DePaul University from 2001-02.
He has also coached at several high profile academies and country clubs including the Martin Downs Country Club in Palm City, Fla. in 2000-01 and the Baskin Tennis Academy in Atlanta, Ga. from 1997-98.
Besides working at the Baskin Tennis Academy coach Kutac has worked in the Peach State before as he was an assistant women’s tennis coach at Georgia Tech in 1998-99, and he was a independent tennis professional in the greater Atlanta area from 1991-93.
Kutac, 43, received his undergraduate degree in political science from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1991 and received a master's degree in counseling and guidance services from Clemson University in 1996. He currently resides in Kennesaw, Ga.
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| Intoduction video for new women's tennis head coach Jeffery Kutac |
