Former UNC tennis player Elizabeth Scotty joins Tennessee staff as assistant coach

Elizabeth Scotty originally had no interest in the coaching business. 

Although coaching was never the plan, the former UNC tennis player approached head coach Brian Kalbas in May as her final season at North Carolina was coming to an end. She began to consider it after not knowing what to do after college. 

And following a discussion with Kalbas and no room on UNC's coaching staff for another assistant, the pair narrowed down possible schools for Scotty. At the top of the list with a star was the Tennessee Volunteers due to the program's similarities with North Carolina. So, Kalbas called Tennessee head coach Alison Ojeda with a unique proposition. 

“Who?” Ojeda had asked. “He said, ‘Scotty,’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, we are 100 percent interested.’”

In May, Scotty was officially named an assistant coach at Tennessee. Even though she had never officially coached before, it's safe to say that she has more than enough experience for the job. Scotty was a member of UNC's 2023 national championship team, secured a 2021 doubles national championship title and was named the 2024 ACC Championship MVP. And former teammate and senior Carson Tanguilig said Scotty has always been a natural-born leader. 

“She was never afraid to speak up,” Tanguilig said. 

 Tanguilig said that Scotty is one of those teammates that excels at every aspect of life. 

And part of learning how to excel came from her time at North Carolina playing under Kalbas.

“Having the experience that I did, and the impact that Kalbas has had on me,” Scotty said. “I was like, [coaching] is the closest I can be to staying [at UNC].” 

While at North Carolina, the head coach and player always argued on the court. Kalbas coached Scotty even while the “stubborn” player supplied her own thoughts about the game, especially in doubles. 

Kalbas always knew Scotty would be good at coaching. He thought she had a good eye for seeing things. It just took Scotty awhile to consider it as a future career.

And after she began to think about a coaching role, it's no surprise that Ojeda was interested in bringing Scotty to Knoxville. 

During her brief stint as an assistant coach, Scotty has started to reflect on her understanding of the game and how her leadership style can bring value to the Tennessee staff and players.

“I see the game very simply, like you go here, I go here, this movement,” Scotty said. “I'm a very direct person, which I actually think is good on court.”

Scotty applied her directness officially as a coach for the first time in September at the ITA Women's All-American Championships in Cary.

Tennessee sent Scotty and two players to Cary Tennis Park. Both senior Elza Tomase and junior Catherine Aulia made deep cuts in the singles tournament.

Aulia made it all the way to the round of 16, while Tomase took down UNC sophomore Theadora Rabman to reach the finals before falling in straight sets. 

Looking forward to the spring, Ojeda is confident and looking to build trust in the new assistant coach. Trusting Scotty allows Ojeda to focus on the younger players, teaching them what it means to be a Vol.

And now, Scotty is looking to have the same impact she did as a Tar Heel at Tennessee.

This time, just in a different role.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misstated that the University of Tennessee is located in Nashville. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for this error. 

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