Kennesaw State University Athletics

After being hired on July 16, 2018, Matt Emery enters his fifth season as Director of Tennis at Kennesaw State University in 2022-23.

Both Owl programs enjoyed their most successful seasons in Division I under Emery in 2022. The women’s team posted a 14-7 record. The Owls collected key non-conference wins over Georgia State and UAB among others. KSU opened the season with nine consecutive wins for the first time in program history. The Owls closed the season with 10 road victories which tied for the most in a season in program history.

The 2022 season saw the Owls’ men set the school record for most wins in a season (15), road wins (8) and conference wins (7). KSU knocked off UNC Asheville, Furman and Liberty for the first time in program history. Kennesaw State earned national ranks three times during the season and finished the year ranked No. 75.  The Owls collected a share of the ASUN regular season title for the first time in program history and Emery was named the 2022 ASUN Coach of the Year.

The women's program has improved its win total each of Emery's first four seasons. In his first four seasons, Emery's Owls have collected five ASUN First Team All-Conference honors and three ASUN All-Freshmen Team honors.  

Emery guided the men's team to an 11-13 record and semifinal appearance in the ASUN Tournament in 2019 and 2022. 

In the classroom, the Owls have been strong under Emery. KSU has taken home 27 ITA All-Academic honors and the women’s squad has earned five ITA All-Academic team honors.

As an assistant coach for the Kentucky Wildcats, Emery helped lead the team to five NCAA Tournaments in six years, including back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in 2013 and 2014. The Wildcats ended the 2018 campaign ranked in the top 25 and rose to as high as No. 12 in the country in each of the previous two seasons.
 
"We are excited to have Matt and his family join the Owls and take our men's and women's tennis programs to the next level," said Director of Athletics Milton Overton. "Matt comes to Kennesaw State with a wealth of tennis knowledge and experience. His ability to recruit top talent and bring student-athletes to our institution and that will excel in the classroom and on the court make him a perfect fit for our university."
 
Emery has quickly emerged as one of the best recruiters in the country, serving as the primary recruiter for Kentucky's No. 1 and No. 2 singles players in 2018. William Bushamuka and Ryo Matsumura both appeared in the NCAA Singles Tournament, with Bushamuka advancing to the second round and Matsumura earning ITA All-America honors as the nation's No. 10 player in the year-end rankings.
 
He also landed Kento Yamada, the top recruit out of Japan, Ying-Ze Zhen, the highest-rated prospect from Taiwan, and Theodore McDonald, a high-touted American player and a top-60 national recruit. In his first recruiting class at Kentucky, he brought Kevin Lai to Lexington and he quickly paid dividends, earning All-America honors as a freshman and teaming up with Tom Jomby to become the No. 8 doubles team in the nation.
 
Emery began his collegiate coaching career in 2008 when he started a two-year stint as the volunteer assistant coach at Kentucky. Following the 2009 season, Emery earned his first full-time collegiate job when he was hired as the men's tennis assistant coach at the University of Maryland. During the 2009-10 season, Emery helped lead the Terps' program to a school-record 13-0 start.
 
He left Maryland in the fall of 2010 to become the co-director of the junior tennis program at Club Med Academies in Port St. Lucie, Fla. While there, Emery oversaw and directed operations for 100 students in the junior tennis program, including on-court practices, strength training and education, as well as the scheduling and travel to national and international tournaments. Emery would leave the Club Med Academies to move back to his hometown of Lexington and rejoin UK's staff as a volunteer assistant.
 
Prior to his coaching career, Emery had an impressive playing career both on the junior circuit and collegiately. As a competitor on the junior circuit, Emery enjoyed a prolific career that included a stint on the 1999 U.S. National Team and playing in each of the four major Grand Slam tournaments. He peaked in the International Tennis Federation junior singles rankings at No. 12 in the world and No. 16 in doubles. Emery also spent time ranked No. 1 overall in U.S. Boys 16s rankings and at No. 2 in U.S. Boys 18s. Emery has wins over several top-20 professional players, including Andy Roddick, Janko Tipsarevic and Tomas Berdych.
 
Collegiately, Emery played at the University of Kentucky under his father and longtime head coach Dennis Emery from 2001-05, helping lead the Wildcats to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including the quarterfinals in 2002.
 
Emery ended his collegiate career with 58 singles wins and 36 doubles victories. During his freshman campaign in 2001, Emery teamed with UK All-American Jesse Witten to win the National Clay Courts Doubles Championship. Overall, Kentucky finished in the top 25 of the final team rankings every season Emery was on the squad, including eighth during his sophomore season in 2002.
 
Emery graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor's in corporate communications in 2006 and a master's in sports leadership in 2012. He is married to the former Sara Reichbaum and the couple has a son, Jackson (8), and a daughter, Charlie (5).