Jane Posch, who guided the Parsons Vikings boys tennis program to a state title in 2025, was named the Section 5 boys tennis Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS).
The NFHS divides the country into eight sections, with Section 5 including Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota.
“I had no idea this award was even out there,” Posch said. “I was totally surprised. Our guys have had three good seasons the past three years. KSHSAA wrote a lot about our guys on their website, so we got a little attention. We’ve had a history of good tennis.”
By earning the Section 5 Coach of the Year, Posch is one of eight finalists for the NFHS’s National Coach of the Year honor, which will be awarded sometime in January.
“Hard work pays off and this is an award that’s voted on by her peers,” Parsons Athletic Director Chris Ball said. “For them to honor her is a great achievement. There’s a lot of great coaches out there. For her peers to think she’s at the top of that is a great accomplishment.”
Posch guided the Vikings to the Class 4A state title in the spring of 2025. Parsons shared the state title with Winfield.
“I’m just really proud of how our guys have played hard,” Posch said. “They’ve worked hard. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a group that enjoyed tennis like this group. They’ve improved without the help of a tennis pro. We don’t have indoor courts. We play in-season and that’s it. It’s a tribute to how much time and energy the boys have put into it.”
The state title was the school’s first in any sport for 20 years.
“It’s a tribute to our guys. I’m really proud of how our guys have played,” Posch said. “They really set the bar high.”
Parsons had finished third in state the year prior and runner-up in 2023.
“She knew we wanted to work hard and wanted to win,” said doubles player Cole Kennett. “When we got third in state last year, she knew what we wanted. She kept working with us on all the little things so we were prepared for state. She got us into harder tournaments to prepare us for state. Everything she did helped us a lot more than we expected.”
Parsons tennis is routinely among the highest- performing sports in the school for both boys and girls. Posch has established herself as the most decorated coach in school history.
“She’s all about consistency,” Ball said. “Anytime you have coaches in a program without a lot of turnover, kids don’t get surprised with what’s expected. It becomes habit. She’s highly involved in the youth level and all the way up. Her name is synonymous with a kid starting to play tennis. When you have that type of consistency, you’re going to have success.”
Posch’s success comes in a community lacking many of the amenities that breed successful tennis programs — country clubs, indoor courts and a local coach who played professionally.
“We get the type of kids that are individually and intrinsically motivated,” Posch said. “They’re not your typical players. And we get kids that do well in school that are attracted to an individual sport. It takes someone that’s motivated to be good.”
Among her Southeast Kansas peers, Posch is widely respected as one of the greats.
“She’s a big deal and has done a lot for the tennis community,” said Chanute head coach Jeff Smith. “My wife (Molly Kearns) won a state title with Posch. Jane is the first person I go to when I have a question and it’s been like that for a decade. I love bouncing ideas off of her. There’s nobody more deserving of this award than her.”
Parsons will be among the contenders to win the state again in 2026. Wyatt Shultz will be the favorite to win the state singles title and Kennett returns as a top doubles player.
“Even with the guys we have coming back, our expectations are high again,” Posch said. “Wyatt is going to be the favorite to win state in singles. He’s put a lot of effort into doing that. Whoever we put Cole with in doubles will be great. It’s hard to decide what to do with our lineup right now. But we’re going to have a solid four, for sure. We just need a few more to round out the team. If we’ve got somebody that can finish in the top-2 at state, that’s a lot of points. So we have high expectations.”
