Duke Names Jonathan Stokke Assistant Coach

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke head coach Ramsey Smith announced the hiring of former Blue Devil All-America Jonathan Stokke as assistant coach of the men's tennis program on Wednesday.

"I am thrilled to welcome Jonathan Stokke back to his alma mater as my assistant coach," said Smith. "Jonathan brings to the program an excellent playing background and passion for Duke. His history with our tennis program and commitment to player development make Jonathan a perfect fit for the position. I am excited our student-athletes have the opportunity to work with and learn from Jonathan, and we will work hard to continue the positive momentum that has been building within Duke Tennis."

Stokke joins the Blue Devils after working as an assistant women's tennis coach at Wake Forest University since June, 2008. In two seasons with the Demon Deacons, Stokke helped guide the team to 24-27 overall record and NCAA Tournament selection in 2009. He helped two players earn spots on the 2010 All-ACC team, one of which received the ITA Carolina Region Player to Watch award.

"It's a real honor to have the opportunity to return to Duke to work under Coach Smith and with such an incredibly talented group of players," said Stokke. "I'm very excited about this opportunity as Duke was my number one choice as a player. I can't think of a better program, or university, to work for as a coach."

Prior to working at Wake Forest, Stokke worked for Ramsey Smith's father, Stan Smith, as a tennis coach at Smith Stearns Tennis Academy in Hilton Head, S.C. Stokke spent two years providing instruction to highly ranked junior players under the guidance of Stan Smith and Billy Stearns.

Stokke graduated from Duke in May, 2006, with a degree in sociology and a certificate in markets and management. In 2006, he earned All-America honors in doubles with teammate Joey Atas. He was a two-time All-ACC selection in 2003 and 2004 and was named the ACC Tournament MVP in 2006. He also is the only player in school history to win the ITA National Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship and Leadership award, claiming the honor in 2006. He also earned the USTA Sportsmanship Award that season, joining Ramsey Smith as the only other player in school history to do so. Stokke also picked up numerous academic honors, including a selection to the first ever Academic All-ACC team and three seasons on the ACC Honor Roll.

In his career at Duke, Stokke played in four straight NCAA Tournaments and advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 three times. In 2006 he was a team captain on Duke's ACC Championship team. For his career Stokke had a 93-59 overall singles record and a 113-47 doubles mark. His 93 singles wins rank as the 11th most in Duke history while his 113 doubles wins are second only to Doug Root all-time. He was 25-10 in singles and 28-9 in doubles in ACC matches. His 28 doubles wins are a school record while his 25 victories in singles rank tied for sixth most. He was ranked in the top 20 in the ITA in singles and top 10 in doubles during his playing career with the Blue Devils.

During his junior tennis career, Stokke won three National hard court doubles championships at Kalamazoo and three National clay court doubles championships. He also played in the U.S. Open main draw in 2001 and 2002 and was a member of the 2000 USTA World Cup team. He was awarded the USTA Sportsmanship award at Kalamazoo two times.

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Duke Names Jonathan Stokke Assistant Coach

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