Wisconsin adds Kelcy McKenna as women’s tennis coach
July 01, 2016 | Women's Tennis
Former All-American joins Badgers after stint at New Mexico
MADISON, Wis. – Kelcy McKenna, the head women's tennis coach at New Mexico, has been named the head coach of the University of Wisconsin women's tennis team, Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez announced Friday.
"We are excited to welcome Kelcy to the Wisconsin family," Alvarez said. "The thing that first struck me was her passion for her student-athletes. It was immediately clear how much she cares about them and that falls directly in line with our mission of the student-athlete experience here at Wisconsin. Kelcy was a tremendous tennis player and will bring a really strong work ethic to our team. When people talk about her, they always mention how she is a teacher and continually looking for new ways to improve her athletes. We think she'll be a perfect fit for our department."
"I am thrilled to join the Badger family and lead the women's tennis program at the University of Wisconsin," McKenna said. "The University of Wisconsin represents a standard of academic and athletic excellence that emphasizes the student-athlete experience. I look forward to working closely with our student-athletes, tremendous athletics department, and the Madison community. I'd like to thank Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez, Senior Associate Athletic Director Marija Pientka along with the search committee for their support throughout the hiring process."
McKenna comes to Madison after spending four seasons at the University of New Mexico, including 2015-16 as the head women's tennis coach. McKenna also spent two and half seasons as the team's associate head coach before taking over the reins as the interim head coach for the final two months of the 2014-15 season. In her season as head coach, the Lobos went 15-7, winning the Mountain West Conference and climbing as high as No. 48 in the ITA national rankings. New Mexico boasted a trio of first-team all-conference players and four ITA Scholar Athletes that season.
The 2014 Mountain West Assistant Coach of the Year, McKenna was instrumental in the turnaround at New Mexico, inheriting a team that went just 7-13 in her first season, but would go 48-24 over the next three seasons and qualify for the 2015 NCAA Tournament, the school's first since 2006.
Prior to her stint at New Mexico, McKenna spent one season as an assistant coach at Marshall University.
The United States Tennis Association recently tabbed McKenna to lead the 2016 USTA Collegiate Division, which provides opportunities for top female collegiate players in the country to travel as a team to compete in professional summer tournaments while maintaining amateur status.
An All-American player at Arizona State in both singles and doubles, McKenna was ranked as high as No. 3 in the country in singles and No. 11 in doubles while at ASU. McKenna won multiple prestigious national tournaments including the 2009 ITA Riviera All-American Tournament, the 2010 Thunderbird and the 2010 Cal Nike Invitational.
McKenna was also a frequent NCAA participant as a Sun Devil, having qualified four times as a team participant, three times as a singles participant and twice as a doubles participant. While at ASU, McKenna was a two-time Pac-10 All-Conference first-team selection. She also excelled off the court where she was a three-time ITA Scholar Athlete and the 2011 State Farm Good Neighbor Award winner.
In May 2013, McKenna won the US Open National Playoff Southwest Section Qualifying Tournament and earned a spot to compete in the US Open National Playoffs. She competed in singles and doubles.
The North Bend, Oregon, native graduated from ASU in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and a master's degree in Educational Leadership from Concordia University in 2014.
"We are excited to welcome Kelcy to the Wisconsin family," Alvarez said. "The thing that first struck me was her passion for her student-athletes. It was immediately clear how much she cares about them and that falls directly in line with our mission of the student-athlete experience here at Wisconsin. Kelcy was a tremendous tennis player and will bring a really strong work ethic to our team. When people talk about her, they always mention how she is a teacher and continually looking for new ways to improve her athletes. We think she'll be a perfect fit for our department."
"I am thrilled to join the Badger family and lead the women's tennis program at the University of Wisconsin," McKenna said. "The University of Wisconsin represents a standard of academic and athletic excellence that emphasizes the student-athlete experience. I look forward to working closely with our student-athletes, tremendous athletics department, and the Madison community. I'd like to thank Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez, Senior Associate Athletic Director Marija Pientka along with the search committee for their support throughout the hiring process."
McKenna comes to Madison after spending four seasons at the University of New Mexico, including 2015-16 as the head women's tennis coach. McKenna also spent two and half seasons as the team's associate head coach before taking over the reins as the interim head coach for the final two months of the 2014-15 season. In her season as head coach, the Lobos went 15-7, winning the Mountain West Conference and climbing as high as No. 48 in the ITA national rankings. New Mexico boasted a trio of first-team all-conference players and four ITA Scholar Athletes that season.
The 2014 Mountain West Assistant Coach of the Year, McKenna was instrumental in the turnaround at New Mexico, inheriting a team that went just 7-13 in her first season, but would go 48-24 over the next three seasons and qualify for the 2015 NCAA Tournament, the school's first since 2006.
Prior to her stint at New Mexico, McKenna spent one season as an assistant coach at Marshall University.
The United States Tennis Association recently tabbed McKenna to lead the 2016 USTA Collegiate Division, which provides opportunities for top female collegiate players in the country to travel as a team to compete in professional summer tournaments while maintaining amateur status.
An All-American player at Arizona State in both singles and doubles, McKenna was ranked as high as No. 3 in the country in singles and No. 11 in doubles while at ASU. McKenna won multiple prestigious national tournaments including the 2009 ITA Riviera All-American Tournament, the 2010 Thunderbird and the 2010 Cal Nike Invitational.
McKenna was also a frequent NCAA participant as a Sun Devil, having qualified four times as a team participant, three times as a singles participant and twice as a doubles participant. While at ASU, McKenna was a two-time Pac-10 All-Conference first-team selection. She also excelled off the court where she was a three-time ITA Scholar Athlete and the 2011 State Farm Good Neighbor Award winner.
In May 2013, McKenna won the US Open National Playoff Southwest Section Qualifying Tournament and earned a spot to compete in the US Open National Playoffs. She competed in singles and doubles.
The North Bend, Oregon, native graduated from ASU in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and a master's degree in Educational Leadership from Concordia University in 2014.
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