Photo by: Florida Gators Athletics
Max Koller Hired as Men's Tennis Assistant Coach
5/27/2026 12:08:00 PM | Men's Tennis
MALIBU, Calif. - Max Koller has joined the nationally-recognized Pepperdine men's tennis program as an assistant coach, announced today by Director of Tennis Adam Schaechterle.
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Koller comes to Southern California from Gainesville, Florida, where he was an assistant coach at Florida under head coach Adam Steinberg.
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"The program has been building momentum and we are excited about the group of players we return next season," said Schaechterle. "This is an important moment for our team to continue elevating, and Max fits our culture and will push us forward."
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Koller helped Florida finish 22nd in the final team ITA rankings, just one spot behind Pepperdine. Under Koller's guidance, the Gators posted several signature regular season victories over ranked teams, including a 4-2 win over No. 13 Columbia and a 4-3 win over No. 16 Clemson. Florida made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Central Florida. Koller also assisted in the development of Henry Jefferson and Pablo Perez Ramos, who finished 73rd and 61st in the ITA singles rankings, respectively. Tanapatt Nirundorn and Jefferson were also among the nation's best in doubles, slotting in at No. 13 overall. Off the court, Nirundorn was named a member of the SEC Community Service Team for his work in the Gainesville community.
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A 2017 graduate of Florida, Koller got his start as a student manager for the then top-ranked Gators women's tennis team. From January 2018 to June 2019, Koller served as Bethune Cookman University's assistant coach for both the men's and women's tennis programs. He then moved to Stetson and worked with the Hatters for several seasons. Along the way, he was selected to represent Stetson as one of 12 collegiate coaches in the ITA National Mentorship Program designed for the nation's best up-and-coming coaches.
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Koller was a volunteer assistant at Oklahoma from 2021-22 following his tenure at Stetson. In his first year, the Sooners advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before being defeated by No. 5 Michigan, who was led at the time by Steinberg. Koller then helped the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos to a 22-4 record in the 2022-23 season before landing at Florida the last two years.
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"Max is a grinder that has paid his dues," continued Schaechterle. "He's earned tremendous experience as he's climbed the coaching ladder. He's learned from excellent mentors, especially the last two years in Coach Steinberg at Florida. Here in Malibu, Max will take on a partnership role and will share in all aspects of the leadership of our program. I'm excited about our entire coaching staff and how we fit together. Time to work."
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Koller will work behind Schaechterle, who enters the 2026-27 campaign in his ninth season as head coach of the Waves, and alongside assistant coach Diego Castillo.
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ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN'S TENNIS
Pepperdine men's tennis has a longstanding tradition of success, highlighted by an NCAA Championship in 2006 which came 54 years after its first NAIA Championship in 1952. Robbie Weiss recorded the program's first NCAA singles championship in 1988 after the program saw doubles national championships in 1984 and 1985. 44-time WCC Champions, Pepperdine has reached 40 NCAA Tournaments and six NCAA Regionals in its history with 53 total All-Americans.
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FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine men's tennis news, follow the Waves on social media: @PepperdineMTEN.
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Koller comes to Southern California from Gainesville, Florida, where he was an assistant coach at Florida under head coach Adam Steinberg.
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"The program has been building momentum and we are excited about the group of players we return next season," said Schaechterle. "This is an important moment for our team to continue elevating, and Max fits our culture and will push us forward."
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Koller helped Florida finish 22nd in the final team ITA rankings, just one spot behind Pepperdine. Under Koller's guidance, the Gators posted several signature regular season victories over ranked teams, including a 4-2 win over No. 13 Columbia and a 4-3 win over No. 16 Clemson. Florida made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Central Florida. Koller also assisted in the development of Henry Jefferson and Pablo Perez Ramos, who finished 73rd and 61st in the ITA singles rankings, respectively. Tanapatt Nirundorn and Jefferson were also among the nation's best in doubles, slotting in at No. 13 overall. Off the court, Nirundorn was named a member of the SEC Community Service Team for his work in the Gainesville community.
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A 2017 graduate of Florida, Koller got his start as a student manager for the then top-ranked Gators women's tennis team. From January 2018 to June 2019, Koller served as Bethune Cookman University's assistant coach for both the men's and women's tennis programs. He then moved to Stetson and worked with the Hatters for several seasons. Along the way, he was selected to represent Stetson as one of 12 collegiate coaches in the ITA National Mentorship Program designed for the nation's best up-and-coming coaches.
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Koller was a volunteer assistant at Oklahoma from 2021-22 following his tenure at Stetson. In his first year, the Sooners advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before being defeated by No. 5 Michigan, who was led at the time by Steinberg. Koller then helped the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos to a 22-4 record in the 2022-23 season before landing at Florida the last two years.
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"Max is a grinder that has paid his dues," continued Schaechterle. "He's earned tremendous experience as he's climbed the coaching ladder. He's learned from excellent mentors, especially the last two years in Coach Steinberg at Florida. Here in Malibu, Max will take on a partnership role and will share in all aspects of the leadership of our program. I'm excited about our entire coaching staff and how we fit together. Time to work."
Â
Koller will work behind Schaechterle, who enters the 2026-27 campaign in his ninth season as head coach of the Waves, and alongside assistant coach Diego Castillo.
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ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN'S TENNIS
Pepperdine men's tennis has a longstanding tradition of success, highlighted by an NCAA Championship in 2006 which came 54 years after its first NAIA Championship in 1952. Robbie Weiss recorded the program's first NCAA singles championship in 1988 after the program saw doubles national championships in 1984 and 1985. 44-time WCC Champions, Pepperdine has reached 40 NCAA Tournaments and six NCAA Regionals in its history with 53 total All-Americans.
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FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine men's tennis news, follow the Waves on social media: @PepperdineMTEN.
