KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State Director of Tennis Matt Emery announced the hiring of Taylor Dean as KSU's assistant women's tennis coach.
 
"I couldn't be more excited about Taylor coming on board full time," Emery said. "Taylor was my first signee, men or women, here at KSU, so we've kind of come full circle. Not only is Taylor one of the most decorated student-athletes in KSU history, but she is an even better person. She is a future superstar in college tennis. I'm very excited about the impact she will have on our program."
 
Dean served as a graduate assistant for the women's tennis team at KSU during the 2024-25 season.
 
"I'm excited to continue my journey with Kennesaw State," Dean stated. "This program has meant so much to me over the past several years as a player, and I'm grateful to Matt for the opportunity to give back to the team. I hope I can help our student-athletes grow both on and off the court, and I can't wait to see where we go from here."
 
Dean played for Kennesaw State from 2019-24. She was the first women's signee in Emery's tenure at KSU in the spring of 2018.  Dean was an integral part of three of the winningest seasons in KSU women's tennis history from 2022-24. In 2022, she helped guide KSU to a program-best 14-7 record. During her final season in 2024, KSU went 7-0 at home. It marked the first time in program history that KSU women's tennis finished the season undefeated at home.  
 
She also served as a team captain for each of her final four seasons taking over that role prior to her sophomore season. She collected 20 singles and 37 dual-match doubles victories in her career. She was named ASUN First Team All-Conference and All-Freshmen honors in 2021.
 
Academics were a strong point for Dean as well. She graduated from Kennesaw State with her degree in management and a minor in marketing. She received her master's in business administration from KSU in May of 2025. During her time as an undergrad, she was named to the Dean's List three times and her teams earned ITA All-Academic team honors in each of her four seasons.


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