Daniel Joe
When Jeff Kader found out an assistant coaching job had opened up with N.C. State’s men’s tennis team at 10 p.m. one night, he didn’t waste any time applying.
“I actually called that night,” Kader said.
A job with a men’s program that has bettered its record each year under its current coach and a chance to learn under coach Jon Choboy, who has proven he can build a program, were too much to pass up.
“Right after the interview, I decided that if I was offered the job, then I would absolutely take it,” Kader said.
The job opened with the departure of Matt Halfpenny, whose wife took the women’s lacrosse head coaching job at William & Mary. Halfpenny will become the women’s assistant tennis coach with the Tribe.
“There was a lot of familiarity [with Halfpenny] because I had coached him,” Choboy said. “You get a kind of synergy after you’ve worked together long enough. Jeff will have new input, and there will be a lot of positives with this move. But it’s still sad to see a good friend off.”
Kader played tennis for William & Mary, earning a trip to the NCAA singles tournament twice, the first to do so in school history. He graduated in 2005 and has been working as a club pro in Hilton Head, S.C., for the past year.
Despite Kader’s youth, Choboy said he is confident in his new assistant and the talent he brings to State.
“I hired Matt when he was 22. Some might prefer older, but [Kader] was, and still is, a good player,” Choboy said. “One of my higher priorities is for my assistant coach to gain the respect of the players, and he’s able to do that because of his skill level. He does the things these guys are trying to do.”
Kader knows his inexperience raises questions, but says he’s not afraid to learn.
“I have a lot to learn — I know that coming in,” Kader said. “It will be very beneficial working with Coach Choboy, and I have no problem going into his office 75 times a day — I feel comfortable with that.”
Choboy said he is confident in the experience Kader has.
“A lot of times there’s the misconception that lack of coaching experience makes a bad coach, but he has played for hundreds of hours and is very knowledgeable about the game,” Choboy said.
A few of the players have met with Kader and say even though by NCAA rules they’re not allowed to practice with the coaches yet, they’re excited about working with him soon.
“He knows a lot about the game and has a good way of relaying what he knows to guys on the team,” junior Nick Cavaday said.
Sophomore Jay Weinacker, who only spent a year working with Halfpenny, said he is confident in Kader’s ability.
“I really like his attitude toward tennis and his determination to get us to the next level,” Weinacker said.
Kader said his playing experience will help players know that he went through the same hardships all of them are going through in their young careers.
“I have patience. I’m not going to be the person out there going off the wall,” Kader said. “From playing I know that you may be trying something, [but] it just may not be working.”
According to Choboy, having a coach nearly the same age as the players helps them relate to him better — giving the players a resource they might not otherwise have.
“They can relate to him in terms of classes and other school related things,” Choboy said. “We hope players will come to him as much, if not more, as they come to me, because he can relay the information in a different way.”