Eastern Michigan Athletics
Ryan Kucera Tabbed to Lead Eastern Michigan Tennis
8/9/2023 2:00:00 PM | Tennis
Kucera named the 11th head coach in program history
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University Vice President/Director of Athletics Scott Wetherbee announced Ryan Kucera as head coach of the Eagles' tennis program today, Aug. 9. An up-and-coming head coach in the women's collegiate scene, Kucera comes to Ypsilanti after one successful season at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
"We are thrilled to welcome Ryan to our Eastern Athletics family," said Wetherbee. "His energy and passion for the game are infectious, and we are confident that his innovative approach, using data and advanced metrics, will greatly enhance our student-athletes' success on the court. We eagerly anticipate the tangible impact of Ryan's leadership, not only in the development of our team, but also in our pursuit of a Mid-American Conference Championship."
Kucera takes over as the 11th head coach in program history, a program begun in time for the 1976-77 season by Lucy Parker.
"I am blessed and humbled to take over the Eastern Michigan tennis program," Kucera said. "I want to thank Director Wetherbee, Associate Director Stacie McMullen, and the entire athletic department for the opportunity to join this elite team. I was drawn to this department and this program because of its value system and commitment to the student-athlete experience. My mission is to represent those values and that commitment at the highest level.
"I am fired up to work with the student-athletes and staff to build a foundation based on family, integrity, and a passion to grow and learn every day," Kucera continued. "On the court, we will implement a fundamental, pro-style system that allows each student-athlete to shine in their own individual way. Off the court, we will represent Eastern with pride, striving for excellence in the classroom, in the community, and as leaders on campus.
"I also must thank Amanda Braun, Adam Schemm, and all of the student-athletes and staff at Milwaukee for their support and trust during my tenure," Kucera concluded. "It's a great school filled with great people and I wish them nothing but the best."
Kucera recently guided the Panthers to a 9-14 record in dual matches while guiding his team to the semifinals of the 2023 Horizon League Tournament where Milwaukee fell to eventual champion, Youngstown State University. His team's nine victories ranked as the third-most for a first-year coach in UWM's program history. Individually, he helped Nadiia Konieva to 20 victories on the year while earning All-Horizon League First Team and Horizon League Freshman of the Year honors.
Off the courts, his Panthers earned the Horizon League's "Raise Your Sights" Award, which is given annually for the highest GPA earned by a women's team in the department. The squad was also recognized nationally as an All-Academic Team by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) with all eight of his student-athletes earning ITA Scholar Athlete awards.
Prior to his time in Milwaukee, Kucera served as the head coach for the women's program at MSU-Mankato, where he earned Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Coach of the Year honors his last season following a very successful campaign on the courts in which he led the Mavericks to 16-10 record, which included an 8-3 ledger in NSIC play. In the process, he guided the program to the largest single-season turnaround in conference history, going from 11th place to third place in just one year.
MNSU finished tied for third in the NSIC standings, its highest finish since the 2009 season, helping three different players earn postseason honors. The eight conference victories are the most since the 2013 season and Kucera is the first-ever Maverick coach to receive NSIC Coach of the Year honors. In his short tenure, his student-athletes broke school records for single-season doubles and singles victories.
Ahead of his time with the Mavericks, he served as a tennis professional at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa. Kucera, who has served as the off-season tennis coach at a pair of Des Moines-area high schools (West Des Moines Valley High School and Urbandale High School), had also been a student assistant coach with Grand View since 2017. In addition, he worked as a tennis instructor at Luther College Tennis Camps and served as a Creston (Iowa) Youth Tennis Clinic Instructor for three years.
A three-year varsity tennis captain at Grand View, Kucera played in both the singles and doubles lineup for the Vikings after spending his freshman year as a member of the men's tennis team at Luther College. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a psychology degree from Grand View in 2020.
For all things EMU Tennis, be sure to check out the team's social media accounts, including EMUEaglesTennis on Twitter and EMU_Tennis on Instagram.
"We are thrilled to welcome Ryan to our Eastern Athletics family," said Wetherbee. "His energy and passion for the game are infectious, and we are confident that his innovative approach, using data and advanced metrics, will greatly enhance our student-athletes' success on the court. We eagerly anticipate the tangible impact of Ryan's leadership, not only in the development of our team, but also in our pursuit of a Mid-American Conference Championship."
Kucera takes over as the 11th head coach in program history, a program begun in time for the 1976-77 season by Lucy Parker.
"I am blessed and humbled to take over the Eastern Michigan tennis program," Kucera said. "I want to thank Director Wetherbee, Associate Director Stacie McMullen, and the entire athletic department for the opportunity to join this elite team. I was drawn to this department and this program because of its value system and commitment to the student-athlete experience. My mission is to represent those values and that commitment at the highest level.
"I am fired up to work with the student-athletes and staff to build a foundation based on family, integrity, and a passion to grow and learn every day," Kucera continued. "On the court, we will implement a fundamental, pro-style system that allows each student-athlete to shine in their own individual way. Off the court, we will represent Eastern with pride, striving for excellence in the classroom, in the community, and as leaders on campus.
"I also must thank Amanda Braun, Adam Schemm, and all of the student-athletes and staff at Milwaukee for their support and trust during my tenure," Kucera concluded. "It's a great school filled with great people and I wish them nothing but the best."
Kucera recently guided the Panthers to a 9-14 record in dual matches while guiding his team to the semifinals of the 2023 Horizon League Tournament where Milwaukee fell to eventual champion, Youngstown State University. His team's nine victories ranked as the third-most for a first-year coach in UWM's program history. Individually, he helped Nadiia Konieva to 20 victories on the year while earning All-Horizon League First Team and Horizon League Freshman of the Year honors.
Off the courts, his Panthers earned the Horizon League's "Raise Your Sights" Award, which is given annually for the highest GPA earned by a women's team in the department. The squad was also recognized nationally as an All-Academic Team by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) with all eight of his student-athletes earning ITA Scholar Athlete awards.
Prior to his time in Milwaukee, Kucera served as the head coach for the women's program at MSU-Mankato, where he earned Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Coach of the Year honors his last season following a very successful campaign on the courts in which he led the Mavericks to 16-10 record, which included an 8-3 ledger in NSIC play. In the process, he guided the program to the largest single-season turnaround in conference history, going from 11th place to third place in just one year.
MNSU finished tied for third in the NSIC standings, its highest finish since the 2009 season, helping three different players earn postseason honors. The eight conference victories are the most since the 2013 season and Kucera is the first-ever Maverick coach to receive NSIC Coach of the Year honors. In his short tenure, his student-athletes broke school records for single-season doubles and singles victories.
Ahead of his time with the Mavericks, he served as a tennis professional at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa. Kucera, who has served as the off-season tennis coach at a pair of Des Moines-area high schools (West Des Moines Valley High School and Urbandale High School), had also been a student assistant coach with Grand View since 2017. In addition, he worked as a tennis instructor at Luther College Tennis Camps and served as a Creston (Iowa) Youth Tennis Clinic Instructor for three years.
A three-year varsity tennis captain at Grand View, Kucera played in both the singles and doubles lineup for the Vikings after spending his freshman year as a member of the men's tennis team at Luther College. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a psychology degree from Grand View in 2020.
For all things EMU Tennis, be sure to check out the team's social media accounts, including EMUEaglesTennis on Twitter and EMU_Tennis on Instagram.
The Ryan Kucera File
Name: Ryan Kucera
Hometown: Creston, Iowa
College: Grand View University - Bachelor of Arts: Psychology (Magna Cum Laude) - 2020
Professional Experience
| Year(s) | School/Company | Position |
| 2023-p | Eastern Michigan | Head Coach |
| 2022-23 | Milwaukee | Head Coach |
| 2020-22 | MSU-Mankato | Head Coach |
| 2019 | Professional Tennis Coach | |
| 2019-21 | Des Moines Golf & Country Club | Tennis Professional |
| 2017-19 | Grand View (Iowa) | Student Assistant Coach |
Coaching Record
| Year(s) | School | Overall | Conf. | Conf. Tourney |
| 2022-23 | Milwaukee | 9-14 | 2-4 | Horizon Semifinal |
| 2021-22 | MSU-Mankato | 16-10 | 8-3 | NSIC Second Round |
| 2020-21 | MSU-Mankato | 2-14 | 1-10 | dnq |
| Totals | (3 years) | 27-38 | 11-17 |
Playing Career
| Year(s) | School | Position |
| 2017-20 | Grand View | Student-Athlete |
| 2016-17 | Luther College | Student-Athlete |
Eastern Michigan Tennis Head Coaching History
| Head Coach | Year(s) | Seasons |
| Lucy Parker | 1976-78 | 2 |
| Susan Reeder | 1979 | 1 |
| Claudia Wasik | 1980-91 | 12 |
| Allison Tookes | 1992-95 | 4 |
| Dave Farmer | 1996-02 | 7 |
| Tim Gray | 2003-05 | 3 |
| Craig Capelli | 2006 | 1 |
| Ryan Ray | 2007-17 | 11 |
| Jayson Wiseman | 2018-22 | 4 |
| Steve Schram | 2023 | 1 |
| Ryan Kucera | 2023-pr. |
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