Mark Klysner Named Youngstown State Men's Tennis Coach

YSU Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Ron Strollo announced on Wednesday that Mark Klysner has been named men's tennis coach. Klysner has spent the past two years as a Division I assistant and has experience as a head coach on the collegiate level.

"I would like to thank Ron Strollo, Emily Haynam, Elaine Jacobs and the entire Youngstown athletic department for this opportunity," Klysner said. "Throughout the interview process, I was impressed by the enthusiasm and commitment that the department showed towards athletics. I'm very excited to get to work and start building a program that can not only contend for a Horizon League title, but also compete at the national level."

Klysner was an assistant for both the men's and women's programs at Fairleigh Dickinson in 2009-10. The Knights' women's team won the regular-season conference title and had won 10 straight matches before losing in the Northeast Conference Tournament final. The men's team placed second in the NEC.

He spent the 2008-09 campaign as a men's and women's assistant at Austin Peay.

"Coach Klysner brings a wealth of coaching and teaching experience that our program will greatly benefit from," Strollo said. "He has worked with some fine young tennis players and helped further their on-court careers and that is something we know will continue at YSU."

Klysner was the head men's and women's tennis coach at Green River Community College in Auburn, Wash., for two seasons (2006-08). His men's team went undefeated twice, winning two regular-season titles and the 2007 NWAACC Championship.

He also was the assistant men's and women's tennis coach at the University of South Carolina at Aiken in 1999-2000. Klysner has worked in many country clubs, tennis clubs, and has coached in the Canadian National Junior Program in Manitoba. He spent eight years as the assistant tennis pro at Bally's Total Fitness in Federal Way, Wash. He has a solid tennis background as a teacher (15-plus years) and an event organizer.

Klysner has hosted numerous junior and high school tournaments while continuing to teach private lessons. He has assisted and coached more than 40 top juniors, who have gone on to play Division I tennis. He is currently a private coach for several top juniors and was a personal coach for WTA player Clelia Del Tour. Klysner has also seen time as hitting partner for numerous WTA players.

After earning his degree in Exercise Science, Klysner turned professional and won two tournaments on the Canadian circuit. He has competed in tournaments all over the world and still competes in lower-level professional events.

Born in Hillerod, Denmark, his family later moved to Winnipeg, Canada, where he became a standout Junior player. He was a member of the Canadian Junior National Team and won more than 30 tournaments all over Canada, the U.S. and Europe. While competing on the Junior level, he earned a win over former world No. 1-Andy Roddick.

Courtesy of Trevor Parks, YSU Sports Information