Keith Puryear enters his 18th season as the head coach of the Navy women's tennis program in 2025-26, marking his 35th season as a women’s head coach and 37th season overall coaching at the collegiate level. The veteran leader and former Marine has totaled 12 conference titles and 11 conference coach-of-the-year honors over his time as a Division I head coach.
The only head coach in program history, Puryear mentored a club team in his first year during the 2008-09 season and has led Navy to an all-time record of 315-113 (.736) across the program's first 17 years of varsity play. The Midshipmen are also 59-16 (.787) in Patriot League regular season matches and 226-56 (.801) in home dual matches.
The veteran coach came to Annapolis after spending 19 years as the head tennis coach at UMBC, guiding the men's team for all 19 seasons while also coaching the women's team for his final 17 seasons. Sporting an impressive women’s coaching record of 530-241 (.687) between UMBC and Navy, Puryear's 530 career wins rank 10th overall among active NCAA Division I women's tennis coaches and 18th all-time. Additionally, the .687 winning percentage is 27th among active coaches and 42nd on the all-time list. Coupled with a 228-176 record as the UMBC men's tennis coach, Puryear’s overall head coaching record stands at 758-416 (.646) through 37 seasons.
A mix of youth and an experienced senior class found the Mids putting together another impressive campaign in 2024-25, going 17-12 overall and 4-2 in league play while posting numerous individual successes. With Emily Tannenbaum reaching the ITA Atlantic Regional’s singles round-of-16 for the second-straight year to lead a group of six ITA Regional qualifiers, Tannenbaum then captured the singles crown and partnered with Parvathi Shanker to claim the doubles title at the Patriot League’s qualifying tournament for the ITA Conference Masters event. The senior pairing then went to the national event and reached the quarterfinals, falling just two wins shy of a NCAA Doubles Tournament berth while earning the Mids a trio of spots in the ITA’s final fall individual rankings. The spring then featured Puryear obtaining his 300th win at Navy in the opening weekend as well as another victory over service academy rival Air Force a month later, while Tannenbaum continued to break multiple program records.
Honors-wise, the 2024-25 season saw Tannenbaum continue to etch her name in Navy and Patriot League history, being selected First-Team All-League for the fourth-straight year and earning Patriot League Player of the Year for the second time in three seasons, also partnering with Olivia Fermo to claim the program’s second-straight Patriot League Doubles Team of the Year award. Additionally, Tannenbaum became the first tennis player to win the Naval Academy Athletic Association’s Vice Admiral Lawrence Sword for Women, the highest honor for a graduating female athlete at the Academy, and closed out at No. 20 in 2025 Year-End ITA Atlantic Region Singles Rankings.
The banner 2023-24 campaign was punctuated by Puryear’s squad capturing the program’s first Patriot League Championship after delivering his 10th 20-win season with the program he started in 2009. Posting an incredible 21-1 home record, Puryear's squad grinded through a spring schedule that included three ranked opponents and saw Puryear win his 500th match as a women's head coach. The Mids had several individual records fall and had five different players earn at least 12 singles wins in dual season. The spring of 2024 also saw other significant milestones for Puryear, as his team defeated Army twice in the same season for the first time in program history and delivered its third-straight Star Match victory, while the team’s title-match victory over Boston University marked Navy’s first win over the Terriers in the all-time series.
Individually, Puryear captured Patriot League Coach of the Year accolades for the second time, while Samantha Johns and Sia Chaudry became the first pairing in program history to claim Patriot League Doubles Team of the Year. Emily Tannenbaum also appeared on the All-Patriot League First Team for the third-straight season, while Johns joined her on the First Team and Chaudry took home all-league second-team distinction for the second time. Additionally, Navy ended the campaign ranked as the No. 10 team in the ITA’s Atlantic Region while Tannenbaum came in at No. 12 on the regional singles rankings and Johns and Chaudry were slated No. 10 in the region’s year-end doubles poll.
A historic 2022-23 season saw Puryear reach a career milestone while multiple program records were broken en route to a 19-6 overall record, a 4-1 Patriot League mark and berth in the league semifinals. With victories over Saint Francis (Pa.) and St. Bonaventure on Jan. 21, 2023, Puryear reached the career milestone of 700 overall wins. The Mids also claimed victory in the Star Match over rival Army for the second straight season and the third time in four seasons, while Navy defeated fellow service academy Air Force in the first meeting between the two programs as well.
Individually, Puryear oversaw the continued dominance of Emily Tannenbaum, as the sophomore became just the second Midshipman to take home Patriot League Player of the Year honors in addition to being named First Team All-Patriot League for the second consecutive season. Joining Tannenbaum in all-league honors was Second Teamer Sia Chaudry, making it back-to-back seasons with a Navy freshman earning All-PL distinction. Tannenbaum also set or matched three single-season records by the end of the campaign: tallying a program-best 51 combined wins, tying the school record of 29 singles victories and setting the new program high with 16 singles wins at the No. 1 position.
During the 2021-22 season, Puryear guided the Mids to their ninth season in program history with at least 20 wins at 22-6. Navy also posted a 4-1 record in Patriot League play, which culminated in the Mids making an appearance in the 2022 Patriot League Tournament semifinals. Among the highlights of the four Patriot League victories was a 4-1 victory for Navy over rival Army in the Star Match on April 2, securing the second win in three Star competitions for the Navy women’s tennis program over their rival.
Additionally, in a 7-0 victory over Lehigh to open Patriot League competition on March 26, Puryear secured his 250th victory at the helm of the Navy women’s program. Following a stellar campaign by the Mids, Kacey Moore and Emily Tannenbaum earned All-Patriot League honors, in addition to Tannenbaum being named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year.
During the 2021 campaign, Puryear led the Mids to the Patriot League Tournament Final for the seventh time in the program’s 12 seasons. He also guided Navy to a record of 7-4 overall and 3-2 in the Patriot League Tournament. Puryear coached a trio of All-Patriot Leaguers in first-teamers Kacey Moore and Jillian Taggart along with second-teamer Meghana Komarraju. The three honorees are tied for Navy’s second-most All-Patriot League performers in a single season.
Puryear guided the Mids to a record of 17-4 during the shortened 2020 spring season. The Mids got off to a 16-2 start behind an 11-match winning streak, which tied for fourth-longest in program history. The 16-2 start was also the program’s best start since the 2012 season. Navy was three wins shy of the program’s ninth 20-win season in a 10-year span before being halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the 2019-20 season, Puryear also coached Samantha Choi to the 114th ranking in the ITA national rankings, which marked the first time in school history that Navy had an individual ranked nationally by the ITA.
During the 2018-19 season, Puryear helped Navy to its eighth 20-win season in nine seasons after posting a record of 23-9, the then-third-most wins in a single season in program history. He also coached Navy to its seventh appearance in the Patriot League Tournament.
Navy captured a 4-3 victory over Army in the 2018-19 Star Match to win the Star over Army for the second-straight season. Puryear also coached juniors Kaylah Hodge and Ansofi Wreder to Second-Team All-Patriot League honors.
Under Puryear's direction, Navy won a school-record 27 matches in 2017-18 and made its sixth appearance in the Patriot League Championship match as the tournament's top seed. Navy was 27-6 overall and 5-1 in the Patriot League regular season. Navy posted a 7-0 win over Army in the 2017-18 Star Match. It was the first 7-0 sweep by either team in the history of the women's tennis Star Match.
Senior captain Amanda Keller received All-Patriot League First-Team honors to finish her career as a four-time all-league honoree, while sophomore Emily Louie-Meadors was named to the All-Patriot League Second Team. Navy also finished the 2017-18 season ranked No. 10 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) Atlantic region ranking.
In 2016-17, Puryear won his 600th career college tennis match when Navy defeated Loyola, 7-0, on April 12. Puryear helped Navy to an 18-12 record on the season and a 4-2 mark in Patriot League play, as Navy advanced to the semifinal round of the Patriot League Tournament.
Amanda Keller, Josie Rogers and Ansofi Wreder were each named to the 2017 All-Patriot League Second Team. Additionally, Keller and Kaylah Hodge were ranked ninth in the year-end ITA Atlantic Region rankings, marking the first time that Navy individuals had been ranked in the year-end ITA singles or doubles regional rankings.
In 2015-16, Puryear led Navy to a 20-10 overall record while going 4-2 in the Patriot League regular season. Navy reached the 20-win mark for the sixth straight season. Navy defeated rival Army, 4-1, in the Patriot League Semifinals to earn its fifth appearance in the Patriot League Championship match. Amanda Keller (first team) and Claudia Mackenzie (second team) received All-Patriot League honors.
In 2014-15, Puryear led Navy to a 20-7 overall record and Navy beat Army for the first time in series history with its 4-3 Star Match win at West Point. Puryear led Navy to its fifth-straight 20-win season and with its 4-0 conference record, Navy went undefeated in Patriot League play for the third time in program history.
Navy received the No. 1 seed for the Patriot League Tournament and carried a 12-match winning streak into the tournament championship match, where the Mids fell to Boston University.
Under Puryear's direction, three Midshipmen earned All-Patriot League honors, as junior Logan Antill, freshman Amanda Keller and freshman Kristine Rojo were each named to the all-league second team.
Puryear was named the USNA Foundation's Spring Coach of the Year for the 2014-15 season and was also named the USPTA Mid-Atlantic Section College Coach of the Year.
In 2013-14, Puryear led Navy to a 21-8 overall record, the program's fourth straight 20-win season. Navy advanced to the Patriot League Semifinals and the Mids rattled off seven straight dual wins from late January to early February. Puryear led Navy to a milestone on April 13 when a 7-0 sweep of Loyola gave Navy's its 100th program win.
Three Midshipmen earned All-Patriot League honors with senior Erin Snook being named to the all-league first team, while senior captain Darien Sears and sophomore Sam Droop were both selected to the all-league second team. Snook graduated as Navy's all-time leader in career in singles wins (90), doubles wins (61), combined wins (151) and career singles dual wins (67). For Puryear, he was named the USPTA Mid-Atlantic Section College Coach of the Year for 2014. Additionally, sophomore Mikaela Carlson was named to the Patriot League All-Academic Team, becoming the first Navy women's tennis player to earn academic all-league honors.
In 2012-13, with his first full recruiting class serving as the team's leaders as seniors, Puryear's squad compiled a 25-5 record, setting a school record for wins. After starting the year with a 2-3 record, the Mids ran off a school-record 17 straight wins and would finish the year by winning 23 of their last 25 matches. The Mids reached the Patriot League Tournament finals for the third straight year and finished the year ranked 10th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) Atlantic region rankings. Three players earned all-Patriot League accolades, including 2013 Patriot League Player of the Year Emani Decquir, program's first major award winner.
Puryear would win his 500th career match early in the year in a 7-0 blanking of Atlantic 10 power St. Bonaventure, and, during the Mids' win streak, Navy recorded victories over regional powers Richmond, Drexel, James Madison and Delaware.
In 2011-12, Puryear guided the Mids back to the Patriot League Tournament finals with a 20-3 overall mark and a 4-0 Patriot League regular-season record while earning the tournament's top seed for the first time in school history. The team ran off 11 straight wins to start the season and finished a sterling 15-1 at home while four players earned all-Patriot League accolades. For his efforts, Puryear was named the Wilson / ITA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year. He accomplished all of this with a lineup that included zero seniors.
In 2011-12, Puryear led the upstart Navy program to the Patriot League Tournament finals and a 3-0 Patriot League regular-season mark. The Mids finished the year with a 22-10 record, starting the season with an 11-4 mark, then winning nine of their last 10 matches. Three members of the squad were named to the all-Patriot League team and Puryear was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year by his peers.
In 2010-11, with a line-up that featured four freshmen quite regularly, the Mids posted a 13-4 overall record, a 2-1 Patriot League mark and a trip to the Patriot League Tournament semifinals.
Many of his recruiting classes have been honored as top mid-major classes by TennisRecruiting.net and several student-athletes have earned academic and national honors, including three Atlantic Region recipients of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award.
Prior to arriving in Annapolis, he won over 440 dual matches while coaching both the men's and women's team at UMBC. His Retriever squads won 11 conference titles from 1998 to 2007 and won almost 60 percent of all his dual-meet competitions.
Puryear won 443 matches and 10 conference coach-of-the-year honors in a decade as the head men's and women's coach at UMBC. His men's teams appeared in five NCAA Tournaments (2000-2003, 2007), while the women also made five trips (1999-2003) to the NCAA Tournament.
Puryear was selected Big South Conference Women's Coach of the Year in 1997-98, and was the NEC Women's Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2001. In addition, he was selected as the NEC Men's Coach of the Year for 1999-2000 and 2000-01. In 2002, he accomplished a double, earning both men's and women's coach-of-the-year honors, and in 2003, he captured the women's award for the third-straight year.
Puryear's squads are also successful in the classroom. Navy has a number of players named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll accolades, and UMBC's women's tennis squad posted a grade-point average of 3.49 in 2008, best amongst all the programs in the America East Conference.
Off the court, Puryear was inducted into the UMBC Athletics Hall of Fame (Class of 2012) and in May 2009, Puryear joined the United States Tennis Association Board of Directors, adding to his already-long list of accomplishments.
Puryear is a certified USPTA professional and instructor for the Tennis Institute, where he coaches several MATA and nationally-ranked juniors. In May 2009, Puryear joined the Board of Directors with the United States Tennis Association (Maryland) as an at-large director.
He has also played at the competitive level in both Maryland and in the Mid-Atlantic Tennis Association, where he has been ranked in the top five in the state and has been ranked as high as No. 2 in doubles on four different occasions. In 1998, Puryear was ranked No. 1 in the state in the men's 35 and older, and in 1999, was No. 6 in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
Puryear played two years of tennis at Howard University before transferring to UMBC. Following a year at UMBC, Puryear enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he served from 1983-88. Returning to his studies at UMBC, Puryear graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics in the spring of 1990.
Puryear is certified as a tennis instructor by the USPTA and USPTR. In 2009 Puryear was certified as a High Performance Training Coach by the United States Tennis Association.
Puryear and his wife, Venida, have two daughters, Jasmynn and Keri.
