LSU women’s tennis head coach Julia Sell did not get down on one knee, but when asking her husband to join her as co-head coach, it was his time to say yes.
When Julia took the head coaching job in 2012, Michael agreed to be a volunteer assistant coach, after having been the assistant coach of the United States’ national team at the Beijing Olympics in the same summer.
Michael had a successful professional career, ranking as high as No. 136 in singles and No. 83 in doubles, setting him up for a successful coaching endeavor. He coached top American player John Isner and was the lead national coach for the U.S. Tennis Association Player
Development staff from 2003 until 2012, where he coached 2015 Junior French Open Champion Tommy Paul and 2015 Junior Wimbledon Champion Reilly Opelka, among others. He also assisted Serena Williams, Mardy Fish and Donald Young during their professional careers.
Michael said the transition from a volunteer assistant coach to a full-time co-head coach is easy, and there won’t be much change in how the program operates, but Julia said she already feels what his added responsibility means to her.
“He did such an incredible job in his volunteer role and never wanted to step on the toes of my assistants at the time. But for me, it’s so much better to have him on an active role,” Julia said. “He knows my expectations and goals on a daily basis. I can give him a responsibility and close my eyes, knowing it gets done exceptionally well. It makes my role easier.”
The players have also already seen the positive effects of his presence on the court this preseason, said senior player Skylar Kuykendall.
“I think the practices are definitely better,” Kuykendall said. “You get a lot more out of it now that we have both coaches with much responsibility, and what we need to work on becomes more specific because each player gets more attention.”
During his 17 years of coaching, Michael acquired traits Julia said help his personal ability to recruit and coach.
“He has the ability to adjust to any personality that’s in front of him,” Julia said. “He does that better than any coach I’ve ever seen, and his passion for the game and to work with players who want to learn and get better surpasses any coach I’ve ever worked with. I’m inspired and motivated on a daily basis by working with him.”
Although they have the same coaching title in front of their name, Michael said it is Julia’s team, and he helps maximize its performance. But in the end, it is always a team effort.
They share the belief of focusing on players’ individual aspects and let the rest fall into place. They said their goal is to win championships, but as of now, it’s the process that’s in focus.
Sell’s playing career provides blueprint for success as coach
September 15, 2015
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