Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Add Crawford to Coaching Staff
August 11, 2023 | Cowgirl Tennis
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State's women's tennis team has added Samantha Crawford as an assistant coach for the 2023-24 season, it was announced today by head coach Chris Young.
"I am extremely excited to add Samantha to our coaching staff," Young said. "Both Jaime and I have known her for some time and can't wait to work with her. Her experience of competing at the highest level and her knowledge of the game is going to be invaluable to our players and future Cowgirls."
Crawford joins the Cowgirls with an impressive resume on the professional circuit. Her career included five ITF doubles titles and one singles title, along with appearances at each Grand Slam. Her role with Oklahoma State will be her first full-time coaching position at the collegiate level.
"I am very excited and thankful to start this new chapter at Oklahoma State," Crawford said. "Coach Young has developed one of the best tennis programs in the country and I look forward to working alongside him and Coach Sanchez-Cañamares to help bring the program to new heights. I can't wait to get started at OSU and help guide the girls to success both on and off the court."
Crawford began to make a name for herself as a junior in 2012, winning her first ITF doubles title in July of that year at age 17. She would follow that by claiming the singles title at the US Open Junior Tennis Championships after receiving a wildcard into the tournament. Crawford also made her Grand Slam debut at the 2012 US Open, earning her entry by way of a qualifier.
In the following three years, Crawford would go on to win four more ITF doubles titles and an ITF singles title. She also made appearances in each Grand Slam tournament, advancing past the opening round of Wimbledon in 2016 and the Australian Open in 2017.
Crawford reached her doubles peak of No. 216 in the WTA doubles rankings in 2015 and ranked as high as world No. 98 in singles in 2016. She joins the Cowgirl coaching staff alongside 15th-year head coach Chris Young and fourth-year associate head coach Jaime Sanchez-Cañamares.
