BETHANY, Okla. — After serving in several roles as an assistant coach for the past three seasons, Ken Hardee has been hired as the head coach of Southern Nazarene's women's tennis team.
 
Hardee replaces Phil White who spent the last 19 seasons at the helm. White led SNU to its 10^th consecutive NAIA National Tournament appearance and 11^th overall in school history. White's teams were consistently ranked in the top 15 in the NAIA each year and finished inside the top 10 in several seasons. This past season the Crimson Storm went 13-6 overall and reached the second round of the national tournament. White closes his career with a 247-160 overall record.
 
“Coach White took this program to national prominence and has coached several top notch student-athletes,” said SNU Director of Athletics Bobby Martin. “This program and the athletics department as a whole would not be what it is today without the hard work and dedication that Coach White has given SNU over the years. We also look forward to where Coach Hardee will lead this program and expect that he will continue the success of what Coach White built.”
 
Hardee came to SNU in July of 2008 and has served as an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology. Before coming to SNU he was the Head Women's Tennis Coach at Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Mass., from 2000-07. Hardee also served as the Head Men's Tennis Coach from 2000-03. Hardee started his coaching career at Hollywood High School in Los Angeles, Calif., where he coached the boy's varsity tennis team from 1990-97.
 
Hardee earned his bachelor's degree in English and English Education from Northwest Nazarene College in 1987 and then earned a masters in Physical Education from Southern Illinois University in 2000.
 
Hardee lives in Oklahoma City with his wife Laura with their son Sam. They also have a daughter Meg who lives in Kansas City with her husband Micah Horton.
 
“I am excited about the opportunity to coach the women's tennis team at SNU,” said Hardee. “I enjoyed working with the players last year as an assistant to Coach White. They are a great group. As we transition to the NCAA we will all work to continue the tradition of success that Coach White built in the NAIA.”