Nearly a decade ago, Keith Pipkin became the first Free State High boys tennis player to medal at the state tournament. Now he hopes he can lead many more Firebirds to top finishes at state.

Pipkin was announced as the Free State boys and girls tennis coach Tuesday. He replaced Oather Strawderman, who stepped down as coach in May.

For the past two years, Pipkin was the head boys tennis coach at Baldwin High. He was previously an assistant at Baker University after playing collegiately at Johnson County Community College and Baker.

Keith Pipkin

“Real excited,” said Pipkin, who won’t teach at Free State. “I honestly never thought the opportunity would exist. I thought the guy who was previously there, I thought he was going to be there for a while. … It’s kind of awesome.”

In 2006, Pipkin led the Firebirds to their first regional title in school history and finished sixth in the Class 6A boys state tournament, the highest-placing senior in the state that season.

Pipkin has worked at the Jayhawk Tennis Center in Lawrence since ’06.

“The way it was back when I was there, we’d have, like, one good player, then there would be a drop off for No. 2 or 3,” Pipkin said. “And all of these other teams that were coming in from Kansas City had all tennis-club players who played all year-round. Free State was definitely lagging behind. Coming in there now, I know at least half a dozen kids who I see almost every day all year ’round — it’s kind of the way I wanted it.”

Free State’s boys tennis team tied for 11th in the state last season after finishing third at its regional and fourth in the Sunflower League. The FSHS girls were 12th at state and second in their regional.

“A lot of these kids that made state last year, the top guys, I was, like, ‘Hey, I made it when I was there. I played in college.’ I want to show them what they can be because I’ve pretty much went through the same thing,” Pipkin said. “I can say where I messed up, and I can really just give them a good idea of what they should be looking forward to.”

Pipkin said his time coaching at Baldwin was valuable because “it definitely brought me back to the way high school kids are.”

“We are pleased to have Keith join us,” Free State athletic director Mike Hill said. “His experience as a head high school coach and coach at the collegiate level will certainly be beneficial to our student-athletes.”