Ulcerative colitis. At best, the doctors told Christian Nagy, he could live the rest of his life, but the condition would be permanent.
He was 20.
The sophomore in college had to take a step away from his life for a short while. And that meant everything. But of all the things he missed about his life just a few short months before, one stood out the most: tennis.
He had traveled the world, living in Germany, Kansas City and Minnesota. He visited all kinds of schools and met many different people, but nothing gave him life like tennis: the ups and downs of competition, the thrills of being alongside teammates and the satisfaction of achieving great things.
After making a full recovery and returning to his normal life, he never took tennis for granted again. His passion was born. Across college and his professional life, Nagy made playing tennis a staple part of his routine. The joy he derived from the game transformed his life, inspiring him to share that same joy with others.
Nagy’s tennis journey started at Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, where he first developed a spark for tennis.
“My parents got me into the game, and my dad especially,” Nagy said. “I grew up in Germany, so it was playing a ton of soccer and a ton of tennis, and I ended up sticking more with tennis. Then we moved and I went to a prep school similar to St. Mark’s. We were fortunate enough to win four state titles when I was in high school, so that was a really big jumping point in terms of taking it seriously and eventually falling in love with it.”
After high school, Nagy decided to continue with tennis and played D3 at Carleton College in Minnesota. It was here that he discovered his ulcerative colitis.
“To take a step back, it puts a lot of stuff in perspective,” Nagy said. “Tennis is a sport where you can get too zoomed in to results and questions like ‘how does my forehand feel,’ or ‘how does my serve feel?’ So to have it taken away for a brief while while I figured out stuff, it gave me a lot of perspective.”
As the years passed, Nagy’s love shifted more from playing the game to coaching. While studying for a master’s degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, he helped teach fellow university students his craft.
“I really enjoy being around the sport, but I especially liked coaching — it’s the coolest thing,” Nagy said. “It totally changes the dynamic of the sport. It totally changes what you value, and I think that makes it so much more fun than just playing by yourself.”
This year the school’s tennis program needed a new assistant in anticipation of head coach Cameron Hillier’s absence for paternal leave. Nagy viewed it as the perfect opportunity.
“I wanted to get involved and try to coach somewhere in the DFW area,” Nagy said. “Coach Hillier and I also played each other in college, so the connection was already there. I went to Carleton, he went to Colby and we played each other in South Carolina. He won his match, so he hasn’t let me forget about that yet.”
The school’s appeal increased when he reflected on his own high school experience. Having attended a similar kind of school, he had developed a deep appreciation for the student-athlete spirit and the discipline needed to excel.
“I remember my time at high school very fondly,” Nagy said. “And if I can be a part of that experience now for our team, that’s awesome. That’s exactly what I’m working to do.”
With Hillier now on leave, Nagy has had to step up very quickly into a larger role—serving as the second-in-command of the sport here in just his first month, while also being responsible for developing individual players’ talents. Despite these challenges, he has a strong support system helping him, including Hillier, who has made it a priority to continue advising Nagy during his leave.
“Getting to rely on his expertise is going to be invaluable in doing this the right way,” Nagy said. “My job, in terms of coming in, is basically trying to keep the car on the road because the foundation work has been done so well by everyone here before I stepped in.”
With the season now underway, Nagy’s focus is not just on getting familiar with the job or on the athletes he’ll have to coach. His eyes are set on the prize — to win, and win big.
“I feel like our team is young, exciting and competitive,” Nagy said. “Before Hillier left, he made a point of saying that our stated goal is to win an SPC title this year. That’s still the expectation.”
