Richmond Hill High School

New tennis coach at RHHS

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There is new face on the coaching staff at Richmond Hill High School. Filling the void that was left when longtime RHHS tennis coach Pat Paruso stepped down, former Windsor Forest High tennis coach Jeff Graham has stepped into the Richmond Hill spotlight.

Graham brings with him 40 years of playing experience, having played the sport since the age of 12.

"I came to Richmond Hill to teach science," Graham said. "I didn’t know anything about the opening with the tennis team until I got here. Pat Paruso has built a really nice program here and it is certainly something to be proud of. It won’t be an easy task to make it any better."

Graham said he is excited about the challenge and has already hit the ground running. Although team practice doesn’t officially start until February, that hasn’t stopped Graham from challenging several RHHS players to some one-on-one competition.

"Since I’m the new guy in town, I’m going to take them up here one at a time and play them for all their worth to see what they’re made of. I’m also going to be taking notes afterwards, but they don’t know that. It will give a feel for who they are and what their game is like and what I can do to help them out."

Graham has played several of the boys and girls thus far, and said he can "clearly I have some people I’ll be able to work with easily." He said he is the type of coach to enhance his players’ strong points as opposed to changing their direction.

One advantage Graham has over Paruso is experience as a player.

"I can introduce some strategic points of the game that I’ve learned from my on-court experience, which may help the team," Graham said.

Unlike Paruso, Graham will have an assistant. Lady Cat basketball coach Elizabeth Bennett has signed on to help the team. With 58 people signed up thus far, this should prove to be an asset. And Paruso has agreed to help when he can as well.

Graham said he was introduced to tennis by his father at a very young age.

"My dad was quite the player in Washington. We played against each other avidly for many years. It took me four years to beat him. Let me tell you, that was a very sad day for him."

His dad was the first of many players to go down in his path, as Graham went on to dominate the sport at Kalamazoo Central High School and Western Michigan University. He was ranked number eight in Michigan Junior Tennis his senior year at Kalamazoo.

Now in its 62nd year, Kalamazoo is home to the premier junior tennis tournament in America – and Graham took full advantage of this. Everyone from Andre Agassi to Pete Sampras to Vitas Geralitas to Arthur Ashe to Stan Smith have played Kalamazoo. Graham actually played against Geralitas. He also was a ball boy for Smith.

Graham still plays competitive tennis. His Savannah Area Tennis Association men’s team recently won their city league and advanced to state. Graham attributes much of his competitive edge to the lessons he learned in Kalamazoo. He said he hopes to pass some of that knowledge to the Wildcats.