Head Coach Andy Krugman came to Kingswood Oxford as a soccer and basketball player. He played baseball his freshman year but decided it wasn’t for him.
The assistant basketball coach and head tennis coach at the time, knew what a talented athlete Coach Krugman was and demanded that he played tennis.
He immediately fell in love with the sport. After playing for the JV team his sophomore year, he made varsity when he was a junior. “I had no idea the tennis world was out there,” said Coach Krugman.
He was amazed by how such an individualized sport had such a team feel. He immediately became close with his teammates. Despite playing with talented players such as Dan Goldberg, Coach Krugman most fondly remembers the van rides and the great friends he made along the way. Coach Krugman was even introduced to his wife through one of his tennis teammates.
Coach Krugman took over the varsity tennis team in 1993 when he came to teach at KO from the coach who initially convinced him to play. He has developed a winning culture and has had many talented players, but he sees his major objectives as developing a love for a game while fostering love within his team. “Obviously you want to win,” Coach Krugman said, “but at the end of the day there are bigger things than that, it’s about connecting with your teammates.”
Coach Krugman is constantly trying to remind his team that even though you play alone, you are still a team. “If you have a bad match, you can still enjoy the day through your teammates,” Coach Krugman said..
Whether you win or lose, Coach Krugman said he wants people to look back fondly at KO tennis, and still feel the same childish joy when they pick up a raquet.
Even though Coach Krugman stresses that it is about the team and not about the winning, they still have done a lot of winning, as they are constantly ranked near the top for division A, and won the championship in 2016. Coach Krugman has coached and developed multiple players who have gone on to play at the next level.
Additionally, Coach Krugman led his team to a 7-0 victory against Hamden Hall Country Day School on Tuesday, April 2, getting his team off to a strong start this season. The Wyverns also had a strong showing in the KITT.
Coach Krugman’s players all have high praise for him. “He’s done a great job creating a team that people want to play on,” said senior captain Luke Reiman. Reiman expressed how one of the reasons he came to KO was to be a part of the winning environment that Coach Krugman created, and said that Coach Krugman is one of the main reasons he enjoys coming to practice everyday.
Sophomore Jaden Weinstein also only had positive things to say. “He is a great coach who constantly has a positive attitude which is contagious and transfers to rest of the team,” he said.
Coach Krugman’s story is very unique, just like he is. Not often does one have a coach that cares so much about his players and can find something positive to say in the worst defeats. “He is literally one of the nicest guys ever,” Riemann said.
