• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

Ohio State Men's Tennis (2014/2019/2024 ITA Indoor National Champs, 17 Straight B1G Titles)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
For Mr. Tennis:biggrin2:
Tennis transformer: OSU went from laughingstock to powerhouse under superstitious, hardworking coach Ty Tucker
Thursday, May 13, 2010 2:53 AM
By Tom Reed

Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel stood inside a crowded Stickney Tennis Center on a recent Sunday watching the Buckeyes run their Big Ten winning streak to 65 matches.

Tressel is arguably the most recognized figure in central Ohio. But in the eyes of the serve-and-volley community, the man behind the sweater vest wears the second-most distinctive coaching garb on campus.

Men's tennis coach Ty Tucker dresses the same for every match, from his white OSU cap to his gray cotton sweatpants, the old-school kind Rocky Balboa donned while pounding slabs of beef in a meat locker. Tucker wears only one pair per season and washes them at college laundromats when the Buckeyes are on the road and playing back-to-back days.

"During the telecast of (last season's NCAA team championship) the commentator said, 'It's hot out here, but it's got to be hotter inside of Ty Tucker's sweatpants,'" he recalled.

Superstitions aside, Tucker has transformed the Buckeyes into a national power by sweating the details. From what they wear to how they practice to whom they recruit, the Ohio State graduate has left nothing to chance in compiling a 289-50 record since 2000.

The Buckeyes, ranked fourth nationally, play host to Western Michigan at 1 p.m. Saturday in an NCAA regional tournament opener. The Broncos look to become the first opponent since Illinois on April 5, 2003, to win at Ohio State, a stunning streak spanning 108 matches.

In a sport dominated by Sun Belt schools, Tucker has convinced talent from around the globe to spend windswept spring days on outdoor courts in Columbus.

A program that had lost 24 consecutive conference matches before he took the reins has won the Big Ten title each of the past five seasons. Led by sophomore Chase Buchanan and senior co-captain Justin Kronauge, the Buckeyes are aiming for their first national title after finishing runner-up a season ago to Southern California.

"Two things jump to mind in terms of their success," Michigan coach Bruce Berque said. "Ty quickly established a standard for his team and his players. He created a competitive mindset for them. And second, he worked hard to recruit and develop the players who fit that kind of system."

World of experience

Most fans wouldn't consider tennis a contact sport, but those who attend an Ohio State practice can watch optic-yellow balls turned into weapons.
At the end of a recent workout, Tucker had his perspiring players pair up on either side of the net about 30 feet apart for "volley, volley" drills.
"If you hit somebody, you don't have to run after practice," Tucker yelled.
The players artfully protected themselves with their rackets while keeping rallies alive. It was an intense yet fun-filled exercise.

"College kids are going to have two bad days a week, and (Tucker) still manages to get the best out you on those days," said Buchanan, who played in the U.S. Open last summer. "His drive and passion are far beyond any coach I've come in contact with, and I wouldn't tell you that if it wasn't true."

Tucker, 39, a former All-America player, knows what it takes to succeed at the college level and how difficult it is to advance beyond it.
The Zanesville native was an exceptional junior player, who at age 14 trained at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Fla. His roommate was a kid named Andre Agassi.

As a youngster, Tucker was a national champion and earned victories over the likes of Agassi, Michael Chang and Jim Courier. But as a pro, from 1992 to '95, he never achieved a world ranking higher than No.273.

While the Agassis and Changs played in London and Paris, Tucker was hustling for $2,000 prize money in Guatemala and Morocco. He was robbed at knife point in Jamaica and sequestered in a Haitian hotel room during a political coup.

"Those were four-week-long circuits in South America, Africa and the Middle East," he said. "They weren't cheering for the Americans, to say the least."

After a few lucrative years coaching in the private sector, Tucker returned to Ohio State in 1998 as an assistant coach. Two years later, the job was his and his task was daunting.

"I knew I had to build a fence around Ohio," Tucker said.

Plenty of success

For months after it was awarded, nobody on campus saw the NCAA runner-up trophy. It sat in its shipping box in a back room of the indoor tennis facility next to the racket stringers.

That's what Tucker thinks of second place.

"I didn't want to look at it," he said. "We finally put it out in January."
His ambition and coaching techniques have brought players from Croatia, Hungary and Japan to the current team. But when Tucker became coach, his main objective was to keep Ohio's best young talent from defecting.
Tired of seeing Southern schools win with Ohioans on their rosters, he sold recruits on the idea of a virtual year-round program. Unlike football or basketball, the NCAA grants tennis coaches ample out-of-season contact with team members as long as workouts are voluntary.

The athletes' work ethic and coach's energetic approach have produced five NCAA quarterfinal appearances, seven All-Americans and three No.1-ranked singles players.

Lest critics think all the Buckeyes do is practice their lobs and backhands, the team is ranked in the top 10 percent of all Division I men's tennis programs, according to the latest Academic Progress Rate report, released yesterday.

Such achievement is another way Tucker can stress a team-first mentality in an individual sport. Those failing to abide suffer the consequences.
Last season, he demoted Buchanan, among the nation's most sought-after recruits, from No. 2 to No. 6 singles.

"Everything (in tennis) had been about me before I got here," Buchanan said. "What I've learned is you are not always going to be the center of attention in life."

The New Albany native has become a leader and the No. 1 singles player on a team that has won 24 straight matches.

Buchanan laughs when discussing the coach's superstitions that include no longer taking players to Olive Gardens because they once lost a match after dining in one.

Tucker acknowledges there's some wackiness to his habits and that he has burned a few lucky garments after bad losses over the years. Of course, it's not stopping him from placing blue magic marker dots on clothing labels to distinguish his practice socks from his match-day socks.
"Let's just say we've all got to do what makes us feel comfortable," he said.
Click to expand...
Tennis transformer: OSU went from laughingstock to powerhouse under superstitious, hardworking coach Ty Tucker | BuckeyeXtra
 
Upvote 0
Tennis transformer: OSU went from laughingstock to powerhouse under superstitious, ha

OSUtennis-DSchilling (osutennis) on Twitter

According to the twitter message, Dave Schilling was named the Midwest Region asst. coach of the year.
Justin Kronauge was awarded as Midwest Senior player of the year.
Ty Tucker was named the Midwest Coach of the year.
And Chase Buchanan received the honor of being the Midwest player to watch.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
gracelhink;1703554; said:
OSUtennis-DSchilling (osutennis) on Twitter

According to the twitter message, Dave Schilling was named the Midwest Region asst. coach of the year.
Justin Kronauge was awarded as Midwest Senior player of the year.
Ty Tucker was named the Midwest Coach of the year.
And Chase Buchanan received the honor of being the Midwest player to watch.
Click to expand...
Coach Tucker has been named the national superstitions coach of the decade. I don't know if I want to stand very close to him:lol:
 
Upvote 0
A program that had lost 24 consecutive conference matches before he took the reins has won the Big Ten title each of the past five seasons. Led by sophomore Chase Buchanan and senior co-captain Justin Kronauge, the Buckeyes are aiming for their first national title after finishing runner-up a season ago to Southern California.
Click to expand...

This is some incredible transformation!
Prior to 2000, Buckeyes lost 24 straight matches.
Compare that with the current 65 match consecutive Big Ten Winning streak 2005 to present.
WOW!
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
From the official OSU Tennis Site

On the eve of the No. 4 Ohio State men's tennis team's first match of the 2010 NCAA Championships at Stickney Tennis Center in Columbus, Ohio, http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=87783&SPID=10415&DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=1057600http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=87783&SPID=10415&DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=1057600Justin Kronauge and http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=87783&SPID=10415&DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=3700384http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=87783&SPID=10415&DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=3700384Chase Buchanan and coaches http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=87783&SPID=10415&DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=1057607http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=87783&SPID=10415&DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=1057607Ty Tucker and http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=87783&SPID=10415&DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=1356273http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=87783&SPID=10415&DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=1356273David Schilling earned Midwest Regional honors the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) announced Friday. Kronauge was named the Midwest Region Farnsworth/ITA Senior Player of the Year and Buchanan earned ITA Player to Watch laurels. Tucker received Coach of the Year honors and Schilling was named Assistant Coach of the Year. . . .
2010 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championship
Columbus Region
Saturday and Sunday May 15-16
*Stickney Tennis Center
Schedule
Saturday, May 15 - First Round
10 a.m. - Michigan (13-10) vs. Denver (19-4)
1 p.m. - Ohio State (32-1) vs. Western Michigan (21-10)
Sunday, May 16 - Second Round
Noon - Winner from match 1 vs. winner from match 2
*(weather permitting - indoor venue The Ohio State University Varsity Indoor Tennis Center)
Click to expand...

Buckeyes fans can monitor today's action on livestats

:oh:
 
Upvote 0
gracelhink;1704584; said:
TSUN extended their miserable season :biggrin:
They managed to defeat the university of Denver by a 4-1 score.
Next up at the Stick is tOSU vs. MAC tournament champions, Western Michigan University.
Go Bucks!
Click to expand...
Well let's clear the scoreboard and get it :2004:on
 
Upvote 0
LIVESTATS is loading slowly, however,

In the march to Athens, Buckeyes take the double's point!

#3 pair of Kronauge and Novak with a convincing 8-1 victory.

#1 team of Buchanan and Marcan seal the point 8-4.

#2 doubles suspended with Buckeyes leading 7-5.

Single's matches will start shortly, (usually about 15 minute rest after doubles).
Go Bucks!
 
Upvote 0
Allare claims first single's point 6-1, 6-3

With the Bucks up 2-0, it appears to be a race to see which 2 single's matches ends first and second.

Novak, Buchanan, and/or Kronauge seem to be the favorites to secure the last 2 points needed for the victory.
 
Upvote 0
Bucks prevail 4-0 in 1st round of NCAA tourney

Devin McCarthy clinched the victory for Ohio State with a 6-4, 6-0 win at #6 singles.

Buckeyes will face TSUN tomorrow at noon with the winner heading to Athens, Georgia, for the sweet 16 of the NCAA team championships next Friday.
Congratulations Bucks and beat the wolverines!
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top