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Scott Huff Named Head Tennis Coach

By Joe Mertens '15, 03/16/22, 11:15AM EDT

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The Cleveland native takes the reins of a Tennis powerhouse in Northeast Ohio.

OHIO CITY, Oh - Scott Huff has been named the next Head Tennis Coach at Saint Ignatius High School. The Cleveland native will take the reins of a powerhouse program in Ohio. Huff is a Holy Name alumnus and was a Division I tennis student-athlete at Akron. Huff brings his experience and knowledge of the game to the tennis program as the season begins on March 29 against Elyria Catholic.

“It’s been a while, but I love coaching and I was fortunate enough to do it at Orange High School,” explains Huff. “To be able to coach at Saint Ignatius is special and I appreciate the opportunity and I’m excited to get back to it.”

Huff spent seven seasons with the Orange tennis program. In those seven years, Huff accumulated over 100 match wins, was named the Plain Dealer Coach of the Year in 2005 and coached multiple state qualifiers. Huff returns to coaching for the first time since the 2006 season.

Huff brings plenty of experience to the tennis court that can benefit the Wildcat student-athletes. Huff was a Division I tennis player at the University of Akron. “The competition drives you at the Division I level; in tennis, you’re always bringing in new players and you have to play at the highest level to keep your spot,” Huff explains. “I had the opportunity in the offseason to practice in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with Carlos Goffi, who was a former coach to John and Patrick McEnroe, which helped me learn how the pros learned.”

Saint Ignatius Tennis comes off a season that had three student-athletes qualify for the State Tournament. Nate Day ‘21, Kenny Li ‘21 and Kai Vesikallio. Vesikallio is one of the key returns for the 2022 season, along with Michael Nock, coming in as seniors.

“The one thing that differentiates Saint Ignatius from other high schools in the off-season training, our players are sharp coming into the year,” says Huff. “These guys take the sport seriously and are willing to put in the work year-round.”

The Wildcats will open the season against some of the most talented high school programs in Northeast Ohio. Huff will debut as head coach against Elyria Catholic and coach against his former team on March 30 as Orange travels to Magnificat High School to take on the Cats. The Wildcats will also host the University School Preppers and take on Massillon Jackson in the first round of the Ohio Tennis Coaches Association Cup.

“Our first match in the OTCA, we play Massillon Jackson, we drew a tough hand, but we are ready,” Huff says. “We will find out what our team is made of in the early stages of the competition.”

The message is simple coming into the season for the Wildcats, focusing on playing the game the right way. A challenging season awaits the Wildcats, but they are up for the challenge.

“The message is not how we hit the ball, but how we play,” explains Huff. “It’s focusing on what we have to do to win; we have three approaches, that’s how all our practices are focused on.”

Spring is right around the corner and with it, a new season for the Tennis Cats. Coach Huff and the Wildcats are excited for the new season that awaits as they’ll open up play (weather permitting) on March 29 at Magnificat High School against Elyria Catholic at 4:30 p.m. The full 2022 schedule can be found on the Tennis page of the athletics website.