A former longtime science teacher and tennis coach at St. Xavier High School has died.
The all-boys, Jesuit-run school announced in a social media post that beloved educator Russ King died Saturday, Dec. 28. He was 79.
A graduate of Xavier University, King started working at the school in 1969, establishing himself as a well-respected biology teacher and leader of its powerhouse tennis program. He stopped teaching in 2014 and retired from coaching in 2019, his family told The Enquirer.
“Russ devoted over 40 years to St. Xavier,” the school said in the post. “His work has impacted many and his dedication to education will be remembered by all who knew him.”
Current St. Xavier athletic director Tim Banker spoke highly of King, calling him an “awesome human being who cared about everybody” while also saying he had a “great sense of humor.”
“He was a pillar of the St. Xavier community for decades, embodying the school’s motto of being a ‘Man for Others,’ ” Banker said
Banker also said that King was widely known as “Tiger” or “Tiger King” among many of the students because he himself used to call every kid “Tiger.”
King was one of the co-founding members of the Greater Cincinnati Tennis Coaches Association in 1989 and served as its president for 15 years, according to a news release. He was inducted into the association’s Hall of Fame in 2023, as well as the Ohio Tennis Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame in 2014, after amassing 861 career wins, winning four OTCA state championships and coaching multiple singles and doubles state champions.
Additionally, the Bombers clinched the Greater Catholic League title every season he coached, according to a statement from St. Xavier Athletics.
Congrats to the inaugural GCTCA Hall of Fame Inductees! It was a great evening at the Montgomery Inn celebrating these tennis legends! 🎾🎾
Maxine Hoyle-Yates, Sycamore/Wyoming
Tom Ball, Western Brown
Russ King, St. Xavier/St. Ursula
Tom Bohmer, Sycamore pic.twitter.com/qCoAv1RDZD— Western Brown HS (@wbhsathletics) September 10, 2023
In the early 2000s, King coached St. Xavier graduate Vivek Ramaswamy, the billionaire entrepreneur who ran for president this year and was picked by President-elect Donald Trump to run the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency along with Elon Musk.
King previously told the Enquirer that Ramaswamy’s teammates on the St. Xavier tennis team would play a game called “Stump the Vivek.” They would try to trip Ramaswamy up on trivia.
“They thought they could get him on sports, but he was way more knowledgeable on sports than I was, especially like the NBA,” King said. “He read the paper even as a young person. The kids, I think they maybe were a little jealous to some degree, and he can come off … he can come off as a little bit arrogant sometimes.”
Enquirer reporter Scott Wartman contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Former St. Xavier High School teacher, tennis coach Russ King dies
