Kalle Norberg - Men's Tennis Coach - Ole Miss Athletics

Kalle Norberg

Title:
Assistant Coach, Men's Tennis
Year at Ole Miss:
4th
E-mail:
knorberg@olemiss.edu
Alma Mater:
Ole Miss (2011)

Kalle Norberg was named assistant coach of the Ole Miss men’s tennis team in 2021 and spent four years with the Rebels.

During the 2024-25 season, Norberg helped lead the Rebel’s to 12 dual wins in the spring season, including conference victories over No. 21 Alabama and LSU, and an 11-6 record at home. Under Norberg’s assistance, Noah Schlagenhauf advanced all the way to the ITA Sectionals in Tallahassee, Florida. Matthieu Chambonniere also had an impressive season, earning the best singles winning percentage (.767) by a Rebel freshman since Norberg himself in 2007 (.880). Both Chambonniere and Loan Lestir earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for their impressive performances. Norberg also helped guide Kai Milburn and Isac Strömberg to an electric doubles season, as the duo ranked as high as No. 51 and tallied three ranked wins.

Under Norberg’s assistance in 2023-24, the Rebels secured 12 dual wins during the spring season, highlighted by impressive conference upsets against No. 19 LSU and No. 45 Arkansas, and posted an 8-6 record at home. Although they missed the tournament, senior Nikola Slavic qualified for the NCAA Singles Championships after achieving a 20-9 record on court 1, including four victories against ranked opponents. Slavic earned All-SEC honors for the fourth time in his career by being named to the First Team. The doubles duo of Slavic and Lukas Engelhardt was formidable, compiling a 21-14 overall record, including three wins against nationally ranked pairs, and achieving a ranking as high as No. 8. The pair also finished as doubles finalists at the ITA Southern Regional, securing automatic bids to the ITA National Fall Championships. Another standout was John Hallquist Lithén, who, with Norberg's support, led the team with seven singles conference victories and earned Second Team All-SEC honors.

In the 2022-23 season, Ole Miss proved to have another successful venture under Norberg’s second year of assistance, with the Rebels reaching their 29^th consecutive NCAA Team Championships. With the most wins since the 2014-15 season, Ole Miss racked up an 18-10 overall record, was 6-6 in SEC play and defeated nine ranked opponents. The season would be highlighted by numerous accolades with Nikola Slavic and John Hallquist Lithen earning Second Team All-SEC honors and Isac Stromberg garnering a SEC Men’s Tennis Freshman of the Week award. With Norberg’s help, Lithen and Simon Junk would secure five straight victories to punch their ticket into the ITA Southern Regional Doubles Championship. The duo would eventually end their run at the tournament as runners-up where they earned an automatic bid into the ITA National Fall Championships. The Rebels saw multiple impressive victories including a 4-3 win over No. 21 Texas A&M and a SEC Championship opening round dub against No. 32 LSU, 4-3. The team would finish the year ranked No. 24 in the ITA Rankings, the team’s highest of the season.

In Norberg's first season serving as assistant coach, the 2021-22 Rebels maintained their level of success with the team punching their ticket to their 28th consecutive NCAA Team Championships. Ending the year with a 16-13 record, the Rebels were able to hang their hat on numerous individual accolades when all was said and done. Despite the Rebels ultimately falling in the opening round 4-2 to No. 37 ranked Utah in the NCAA First Round, individual tournament spots were clinched by the doubles pairing of Finn Reynolds and Lukas Engelhardt, as well as Nikola Slavic in the NCAA Singles Championships. Slavic, who had been coming off of a Second-Team All-SEC season in 2020-21, made a huge jump into the Rebels No. 1 singles spot and did not disappoint. Slavic would finish the season 22-13 and be named the program's 32nd All-American as well as a First-Team All-SEC honoree. Earlier on during the fall season, Slavic would also claim the ITA Southern Regional Singles Championship title. Reynolds and Engelhardt would reach the Doubles Championships Round of 32 before eventually falling to the tournament's No. 2 seed.

After graduating from Ole Miss with a B.S. in Hospitality Management in 2011, Norberg transitioned from player to coach. Norberg has worked at one of Sweden’s most historic tennis clubs, Stockholm’s Allmänna Lawntennis Klubb (SALK) since 2011. Over the past decade, Norberg has coached countless top prospects including instructing top junior players from 2018-2020 under the title of Senior Elite Coach. He also has experience coaching professional players as well and has worked with ATP top-100 player Mikael Ymer.

At Ole Miss, Norberg was a focal point for the Rebels from 2007-2011. His 81 singles victories rank 13th all-time in program history. He was a three-time All-SEC selection (2007, 2008, 2009) and achieved SEC Academic Honor Roll status in 2011. Norberg was a member of two SEC Championship winning teams in 2008 and 2009. His most prolific season occurred in 2009 when he went 32-4 overall in singles, 20-1 in singles duals, was undefeated in conference singles play, was named MVP of the SEC Championships and competed in the NCAA Singles Championships.

“I am very excited to have Kalle back in Oxford and I know that he feels the same way,” head coach Toby Hansson said. “He was an unbelievable team player and possibly the toughest, most competitive player I’ve coached. As a player he was instrumental in leading our team to winning championships and I know he will bring that same winning mentality to this team. With Kalle, we will be giving our team the best opportunity to be successful.

Outside of tennis, Norberg enjoys golfing and spending time with family and friends. He is originally from Uppsala, Sweden.

“I’m really happy to be back at Ole Miss,” Norberg said. “I’m excited to work with the guys in a new role on the team.”