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Staff Directory
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- Phone:
- 2850
Younes Limam took over the Syracuse University tennis program in 2014 and quickly carved his name into the Orange history books. In his 10 seasons at the helm, Limam has taken the Orange to four NCAA Tournaments (no NCAA Tournament held in 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic), tallied 104 wins, coached six All-ACC team members and oversaw the development of three All-Americans.
Limam led the Orange to an 11-11 overall mark in 2025, leading Syracuse to the third round of the ACC Tournament for the third time. The Orange ranked as high as No. 32 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings during the season. Syracuse won a pair of 4-3 matches against Florida State and No. 62 Louisville during the regular season before upsetting No. 36 Clemson by a 4-3 score in the second round of the ACC Tournament. In the fall, Serafima Shastova won the ITA New England Regional in singles to earn a spot in the NCAA Individual Championships.
In 2024, Limam led his team to a 10-11 overall record, going 4-9 in ACC competitions. The Orange squad ranked as high as No. 39 in the ITA rankings during the season. The marquee win of the season came against No. 8 NC State, which was named the Game of the Year at the 2024 'Cuse Awards. Under Limam's watch, Miyuka Kimoto earned qualification in the NCAA Individual Championships in the singles event. Kimoto and Viktoriya Kanapatskaya were selected as a pair to be the second alternate group for the doubles event in the NCAA Individual Championships.
Limam guided his crew to nine-straight wins to open the season in 2023. The win streak, capped off by a victory against No. 23 Miami, propelled the Orange to No. 16 in the ITA rankings, the highest rank of the season. The team's rank marked the first time since March 2020 that the Orange landed in the top 25 and the program's highest position since February 2019 when Syracuse was ranked 10th nationally. 'Cuse would hold strong inside the top-25 for three consecutive weeks. The squad landed all six performers on the All-ACC Academic Team.
The 2022 season began with a bang as Limam's squad went 6-1 to start the campaign. The Orange finished the season with a 10-11 overall record with a 4-9 record in conference contests. The duo of Miyuka Kimoto and Polina Kozyreva were selected as the No. 27-ranked doubles pair to compete in the NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championships as part of the doubles competition.
Limam was named the ITA Northeast Region Coach of the Year in 2021 after leading the Orange to an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Overall, Syracuse posted an 8-12 record, which included a victory at No. 11 Georgia Tech. Freshman Viktoriya Kanapatskaya made an immediate impact on the Orange as the Belarus native earned All-America honors and was the ITA Northeast Region Rookie of the Year. She was also voted to the All-ACC First Team. Kanapatskaya played in the NCAA Singles Championship, marking the 11th time Syracuse has sent a player to the national tournament.
The 2020 season started off strong for ‘Cuse, the Orange opening on a 6-0 tear while Kim Hansen and Miranda Ramirez each went undefeated in their first seven matches, Zeynep Erman didn’t lose in her first six, and Polina Kozyreva was perfect through her first four. Syracuse also peaked at No. 23 in the Oracle/ITA poll, marking the seventh time Syracuse has reached the top-25. The good times were cut short though due to the COVID-19 pandemic canceling the remainder of the season, but Limam showed his true colors when he allowed both of his seniors, Ramirez and Guzal Yusupova, to return for a fifth year with the team.
The 2019 campaign was perhaps Limam's most successful to date. Under his watch, the 2019 Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year for the Northeast region guided the Orange into the top-10 of the Oracle/ITA team rankings for the first time in program history.
Syracuse advanced to the ITA National Team Indoor Championship for the first time in school history in 2019. The Orange later punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four seasons, and for the second year in a row. Syracuse's first-round victory over No. 35 Wisconsin at the NCAA Tournament gave the program its second-ever tournament win.
Following an 8-14 season in 2017, Limam came into the 2018 campaign retaining seven student-athletes from a season ago. The 2018 team began the season 9-1, one of the best starts in program history. It was win-after-win for the Orange as they recorded five wins over top-50 opponents.
The highlight of the season came on April 1 when Limam led the team to its biggest win in program history, defeating No. 3 Georgia Tech, 4-3. The Orange finished the year 17-7, including a first round match in the NCAA Tournament, for the largest single-season turnaround in school history.
Limam also coached junior Gabriela Knutson to No. 5 in the nation in singles rankings to become the highest-ranked Syracuse player in program records. Under Limam's instruction, the doubles pair of Knutson and Ramirez to a No. 10 ranking in doubles action.
In his third season, Limam guided freshman Ramirez to All-ACC Second Team honors after finishing the season with a 15-6 singles record and a 12-match winning streak in the middle of the season. The Orange defeated No. 42 Miami and No. 30 Wake Forest in the regular season for a couple of marquee wins.
In just his second season at the helm of the tennis program, Limam guided the Orange to what was then their highest rank in program history on top of leading the program to its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Limam and the Orange won their first NCAA Tournament match in program history by defeating Georgia State, 4-3, in the first round in 2016. Syracuse also received its first BYE in the ACC Tournament and won its first ACC Tournament contest with a 4-3 comeback win over NC State.
Backed behind the leadership of Limam, the Orange reached new heights by climbing up to No. 24 in the ITA poll on March 1, marking the highest rank in program history.
After going 8-13 in his first season, Limam and the Orange turned it around to finish 15-9 in his second year.
In the 2016 campaign, the Orange also had both a singles player and doubles pair invited to the NCAA Individual Championship for the first time since 1996. No. 64 Anna Shkudun was defeated by eventual National Champion Danielle Collins in the first round. No. 27 doubles pair Gabriela Knutson and Valeria Salazar were also defeated by the eventual National Champions in the first round.
The Orange had some marquee victories in 2016 with wins over No. 19 Wake Forest, No. 30 Notre Dame and No. 30 Virginia Tech.
During Limam's first season, he led Amanda Rodgers to All-ACC accolades and defeated a pair of top-40 opponents.
Limam mentored the Orange to a No. 34 ranking in the ITA poll on Feb. 24, which was the highest rank Syracuse has ever received.
Limam notched his first win at Syracuse in the season opener, defeating Florida Gulf Coast on January 8, 2015 and proceeded to knock off two highly-ranked opponents in consecutive matches later in the month.
The Orange defeated No. 39 South Florida and No. 35 Princeton in the opening matches of the season and Limam mentored six flight champions during the fall campaign between taking four-of-five flights at the West Point Invitational and Houston Invitational.
Amanda Rodgers notched the second all-conference accolades of her career in 2015 after being named All-ACC Third Team.
Limam also led the doubles tandem of Valeria Salazar and Komal Safdar to a No. 59 rank in the ITA Doubles rankings during his first year as well.
Limam's success extends off the court, as well. Under his leadership, the Orange have consistently displayed excellence in the classroom, earning ITA All-Academic Team honors for the 2015-16 and 2017-18 academic years - the only times in program history.
Becoming Orange:
Syracuse announced on June 24, 2014 that Younes Limam had been named head coach of the Orange women’s tennis program. A respected coach and recruiter, he comes to Syracuse after serving as assistant coach at Rice University the last five seasons.
“Coach Limam has an incredible reputation as a rising superstar in NCAA tennis coaching,” Athletic Director Dr. Daryl Gross said at the time of his hiring. “He comes to us highly regarded by his peers with a superb reputation in coaching, recruiting and building championship programs. His global approach to every aspect of tennis has helped lead Rice University to recent success. His reputation as a wonderful character person and teacher is obvious. We believe he will be outstanding in growing Syracuse tennis and competing for championships while graduating our student-athletes.”
The 2011 ITA Assistant Coach of the Year in the Texas Region, Limam played a vital role in turning Rice into a national power over the course of the last five seasons as the Owls went from being unranked to being consistently ranked in the top 20 nationally, winning back-to-back Conference USA titles, and reaching at least the NCAA round of 32 each of the last three years, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2012.
“I am honored to become Syracuse’s head women’s tennis coach and join an athletic department full of hall of fame coaches and an amazing staff,” Limam said. “I want to thank Dr. Gross and Dr. Baumgartner for this opportunity. They made me feel at home from the moment I arrived on campus.”
As Rice’s recruiting coordinator, Limam was responsible for bringing top talent – regionally, nationally and internationally – to the Owls. His recruits included 2013 All-American and two-time NCAA qualifier Natalie Beazant (England), 2013 NCAA singles qualifier and Canada’s No. 2-ranked junior Dominique Harmath, No. 35 world junior ranked Katherine Ip (Hong Kong), and five-star recruit domestic recruits Savannah Durkin (No. 19 nationally ranked) and Alison Ho (No. 26 nationally ranked).
Rice compiled a combined record of 85-40 (.680) in Limam’s five seasons in Houston, including a stellar 57-21 (.731) over the last three campaigns, each of which included NCAA victories.
Limam is coming off an 18-8 season with the Owls in 2014 in which they were ranked in the top 20 nationally, won the Conference USA Championship in decisive fashion and recorded a victory in the NCAA Championship to reach the second round.
In 2013, Rice went 21-5, its most wins in 31 years, was ranked in the top 20, won the C-USA title, advanced to the NCAA second round and had a singles player (Beazant) reach the NCAA quarterfinals.
In 2012, Limam’s third season at Rice, the Owls went 18-9 and after winning its NCAA first round match, upset No. 16 Ole Miss to reach the Sweet Sixteen.
The 2011 Rice Owls went 14-10 with Limam winning the ITA Texas Region Assistant Coach of the Year honor in his second season with the program after helping lead the Owls to a 14-9 mark and season-high ranking of No. 31 in his first season in 2010.
Prior to being hired at Rice in 2009, Limam served as assistant coach at Texas-Arlington from 2007-09 and was a graduate assistant at Central Oklahoma from 2004-06. In his last season with the Mavericks in 2009, they went a perfect 11-0 to win the Southland Conference title and advanced to the NCAA Championship.
An accomplished player, Limam played at Drury University from 2000-03, posting an 87-17 singles record, placing him second in victories in school history. He helped lead the Panthers to an NCAA Division II runner-up finish in 2002 and was a three-time All-Heartland Conference selection (2001-03). Drury finished in the top five in Division II all four years of his career.
Limam also has experience playing on both professional and junior circuits. He was ranked in the top three in Morocco junior categories and was a member of the Moroccan Junior National Team from 1994-98.
Limam graduated from Drury University in 2003 with a degree in business administration. He received his Master’s Degree in 2006 in business administration from Central Oklahoma.
Born and raised in Mohammedia, Morocco, Limam speaks English, French and Arabic. He and his wife, Kristen, live in Fayetteville with their two young children, Lina and Ryan.
