As the Kentucky men’s tennis program prepares for its final regular-season match of the year, UK is appears to be on the brink of a third straight top-15 finish, a third consecutive season of hosting a regional and a 17th postseason appearance in the last 18 years.Ho-hum. Yes, the 13th-ranked Kentucky men’s tennis program is used to the kind of season it’s enjoying this year. UK is 23-7 on the season and will likely finish in third place in the always-tough Southeastern Conference.It’s nothing new for head coach Dennis Emery, who took over the program in the 1980s and has methodically built it into one of the country’s most consistent powers.However, Emery hasn’t done it all by himself. Throughout the years he’s had some of the finest assistant coaches, many who have gone on to take head coaching positions at other schools. When his latest assistant , Greg Van Emburgh, left the program after the 2005 season to become the head coach at Wisconsin, Emery needed a replacement who could help him maintain the consistent success that has defined the program for decades.The choice was a no-brainer. Emery called former star Cedric Kauffmann.  “I had a short list of one,” Emery said of his decision to go with Kauffmann in 2006. “If I had to go to two, I’m not sure who else it would have been. I always had it in the back of my mind that Cedric could eventually end up here when he was done playing.”Kauffmann was the natural choice in part because of his impact on the program as a player. He was a three-time All-American from 1996-98, finished among the nation’s top 10 singles players each season and was ranked a career-best No. 2 in 1997. The Montsoult, France, native went on to a five-year professional career on the ATP Tennis Tour, reaching No. 170 in the world rankings. Kauffmann ended up in Cincinnati after his playing career ended at a club called Five Seasons. He never thought about going into coaching – his plans were to go into finance – but when Emery called, Kauffmann figured he would give it a shot at his alma mater.After a rough season in 2006, UK returned to one of the country’s elite programs. There are a ton of factors that have been involved in the consistent success – namely players like Bruno Agostinelli and Eric Quigley and Emery’s coaching – but one factor that Emery thinks goes unnoticed is the influence of Kauffmann.While Emery is still in charge of the grand picture of the program, Kauffmann has become an integral part of the team, especially since Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart named him associate head coach prior to the 2010 season.Kauffmann is known as a young coach with a lot of energy, emotion and enthusiasm that the players feed off of.”The thing that I like what he’s able to do is he’s able to relate his experiences to the players,” Emery said. “As a top collegiate player and a professional player, he’s able to relate those game styles to them. Cedric was kind of an aggressive baseline player who built his game around his service return. He’s able to teach people how to play the way he played. The other thing he does well is, because he played the way he played, he’s able to teach people this is the way you beat people.”What Kauffmann will say more bluntly than what Emery was trying to say was Kauffmann wasn’t blessed physically on the tennis court. The way Kauffmann explains it, he had to outsmart his opponents to beat them.  “I had a little bit of talent, but I think I used my brain more than other players who were more talented than me,” Kauffmann said. “I had to know the game well enough to beat players that were better than me. I used that and gave that to (my players). If we can catch some talented players like Eric and Alex (Musialek) and teach them how to play the game, we can get them to the next level.”Relating to players seems like a necessity more than a bonus for coaches. But Kauffmann, whether it’s because of his young age or playing experience, has a way of communicating with his players a little better than most coaches. “It’s invaluable,” Emery said. “Teaching people how to see the court is invaluable at this level where it becomes so fast.”He’s passionate while being down to earth, Emery said.”I went through what they’re going through,” Kauffmann said. “I don’t think I was a very good pro, but I was a pro, so I think they say, ‘OK, how can you help me or what do I need to do to get to the next level?’ “Kauffmann’s footprint on the recruiting trail has also been pretty irreplaceable. Three Frenchmen (Musialek, Anthony Rossi and Tom Jomby) make up UK’s 13-man roster, a big reason because of Kauffmann. As a native of France, Kauffmann has a proven record of jumping overseas and finding success in America. That international connection is extremely important in a collegiate sport that knows no continental boundary.”He’s the key to getting those guys,” Emery admitted. “The parents want to know that their young student-athlete that they’re sending to another country, there’s going to be someone that cares for them in a special way. There’s a special bond there (being from the same country).”Kauffmann said he had a lot of learning to do when he entered the coaching profession in 2006. He said he leaned a lot on what he learned at his club job in Cincinnati and watched Emery from afar.What helped Kauffmann the most was Emery’s willingness to let Kauffmann grow into the job. Both split the day-to-day duties pretty evenly. Although there is a built-in hierarchy of a coach-assistant relationship, Kauffmann has a large influence in practices and on-court adjustments.Kauffmann said he knows Emery is his boss, but Emery makes them feel like they’re equals.”I’m not a control freak,” Emery said. “I give my assistants a lot of freedom as they earn it. I’m not afraid to let them make mistakes. That’s the way I developed. They have a lot of freedom to develop their coaching style. I’m not looking for a clone. I’m looking for someone to be the best they can be.” Much like a player’s development, one of a coach’s proudest moments is watching his assistants move on to bigger and better things as head coaches. Emery believes that day is coming soon for Kauffmann.Although Emery doesn’t appear to be ready to leave his post at Kentucky, Kauffmann could be a future candidate as his successor. Either way, Kauffmann said he’s in no rush.”Right now I’m very comfortable,” Kauffmann said. “If it happens in the next couple of years or the next decade, it will happen. I’m pretty patient. Sometimes people rush into titles. I will wait for my opportunity. I hope it is at Kentucky. If it’s not, Kentucky is still in my heart.”