![Tulane's Robert Klein was named the Conference USA Men's Tennis Coach of the Decade on Tuesday. [File photo by Ned Dishman]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Ftulanegreenwave.com%2Fimages%2F2005%2F4%2F19%2F71321.jpeg&height=300&type=webp)
Tulane Sweeps Men's Tennis All-Decade Honors
Apr 19, 2005 | Men's Tennis
April 19, 2005
NEW ORLEANS, La. - The Tulane University men's tennis program, which has captured four Conference USA Championships in the first 10 years of the league's existence, was recognized for its success by the league on Tuesday. As the league celebrates its 10th anniversary during the 2004-05 season, it is naming a Team of the Decade for each of the conference's 19 sports. Tulane head coach Robert Klein was named the league's Men's Tennis Coach of the Decade and former Green Wave All-American Michael Kogan was selected as the C-USA Player of the Decade.
In addition, Kogan was joined by Robert Samuelsson and Victor Romero on the All-Decade Men's Tennis Team. Tulane was the only school with three players recognized. TCU and USF each had two selections.
Klein has guided the Green Wave to four C-USA Championships (1997, 2001, 2003, 2004) and eight straight NCAA Tournament appearances during his 11 years at the helm of the program. In the 10 years of Conference USA, he has tallied a 160-85 (.653) record while winning Coach of the Year honors four times. In the last nine years Klein's teams have never finished below third in the league. The Green Wave program has closed the year ranked in the top 42 for each of the past eight years, including a final ranking of No. 14 in 2003. Under Klein's guidance, Green Wave players have earned C-USA Player of the Year seven times to go with 28 all-conference selections.
"I am very humbled and appreciate that the coaches would select me, but I really think it is the achievements of all of our players that has been recognized," Klein said. "This is an opportunity for me to say thanks to the many Tulane players and all of my assistant coaches for what they have accomplished over the last 10 years. It is really about that. I see it as the tennis program being recognized more so than me. I have been very fortunate to have great people to work with."
One of the greatest players in Tulane history, Kogan was a four-time Conference USA Player of the Year (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004) and an NCAA Singles National Finalist as a senior in 2004. He led Tulane to three C-USA Championships (2001, 2003, 2004) and four NCAA Tournament appearances (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004), including a Regional Championship in 2003. Born in Uzbekistan and raised in Israel, Kogan was a three-time All-American in singles and two-time All-American in doubles. He is Tulane's all-time leader in singles (119) and doubles (97) victories. In addition to being named C-USA Athlete of the Week 13 times in his career, he was the Conference USA Male Athlete of the Year for 2004-05, an award which goes to one person in the league from all sports.
"This is a great honor; to think about a decade of players, from 14 schools, to be picked as the best is kind of amazing," Kogan said. "I know there have been some great players in Conference USA, even here at Tulane, like Robert Samuelsson. I was really glad to get this, and I am also happy for Robert [Samuelsson] and Victor [Romero] as well for being on the team. And I am obviously happy for Coach Klein as well."
Samuelsson was likely Kogan's top competition for the Player of the Decade honor. He was a three-time Conference USA Player of the Year (1997, 1998, 1999) and earned first team All-America honors in 1998 and 1999. His highest national ranking during his career was No. 3 and he also collected Academic All-America recognition as a senior. The product of Sweden led the Green Wave to three NCAA Tournaments (1997, 1998, 1999) with the 1997 trip being Tulane's first since 1965. In 1999, he earned the national Rafael Osuna Award for sportsmanship. He was also named C-USA Freshman of the Year (1996).
Romero was a teammate of Kogan's for three years and earned first team All-Conference honors in all three of his seasons (2001, 2002, 2003). He helped Tulane to two C-USA Championships (2001, 2003) and three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances while teaming with Kogan to earn All-America honors in doubles in 2003. As a senior, he was named the Outstanding Singles Player and was part of the Outstanding Doubles Team at the C-USA Tournament. The product of Mexico set the school record for singles winning percentage in 2001 by posting a 19-3 mark (.870).
Tulane has continued its success in 2005 as the Green Wave has been selected as the top seed in this weekend's Conference USA Tournament. The 19th-ranked Green Wave will play on Friday at 1 p.m. (Central) against the winner of Thursday's match between No. 7 DePaul and No. 10 East Carolina. With a win on Friday, the Wave would advance to the quarterfinals on Saturday at 11 a.m. The Championship match is scheduled for Sunday at 10 a.m.
