Fond Farewell: Steve "Lightning" Krulevitz
Celebrating 15 Years as a Multi-Championship-Winning Varsity Tennis Coach
Head Coach, 2012–2025; Assistant Coach, 2010–2012
by Kenan Ulku-Steiner, 2023-2025 Penn Fellow and Assistant Tennis Coach
There is no one quite like Steve "Lightning" Krulevitz. He is, in every sense, a character — eccentric, unpredictable, endlessly quotable, and utterly beloved. He is also synonymous with the unrivaled success of Gilman tennis. Teachers, students, and tennis players alike light up when asked about him, and working alongside him as assistant coach for two years has clarified the reasons for their delight.
In 2010, Steve joined the varsity tennis staff as an assistant coach to then-head coach Jim Busick. Jim and Steve helped Gilman reclaim the MIAA title after a three-year drought, and in 2012, when Jim retired, Steve took over the varsity program. In his 14 seasons as head coach, Steve led Gilman to nine MIAA championships, winning eight consecutive titles between 2014 and 2022, with Gilman's latest MIAA victory coming in 2024.
There is no one quite like Steve "Lightning" Krulevitz. He is, in every sense, a character — eccentric, unpredictable, endlessly quotable, and utterly beloved.
Coach Lightning (back left) during his first season as a varsity tennis coach at Gilman in 2010.
Coach Lightning (front left) during his last season as a varsity tennis coach at Gilman in 2025.
Coach Lightning (left) with Coach Kenan Ulku-Steiner (right).
This unparalleled success is no surprise, as his qualifications to be a high school tennis coach are wildly impressive. A Baltimore native, Steve was raised in Park Heights and attended Park School, where he quietly dominated in three interscholastic sports, becoming the tennis singles champion for four consecutive years, leading the basketball team to an undefeated 1969 season, all while reaching all-state accolades in soccer and lacrosse.
He went on to play tennis at UCLA, where he became a PAC-8 champion in 1972, an All-American in 1973, and reached the NCAA national championship quarterfinals. His 10-year professional career saw him play multiple times in all four majors, rank amongst the top 100 in the world, and compete at number one singles for Israel's Davis Cup team.
Despite these accomplishments, Steve has chosen to dedicate his life's work to the next generation of tennis players in Baltimore. As founder and director of the Krulevitz Tennis Program for the last 41 years, Steve has run summer camps and weekend clinics for youth and adults. It is in these environments where Steve shines most. He is playful, competitive, and connective with all of his students, perhaps most notably through his nicknames, a unique expression of connection Steve forges with each of his players.
Despite his own professional success and the winning culture Steve has brought to Gilman, what he is most proud of is the type of players he has coached throughout his years leading the program: gritty, positive, hard-working, and willing to see beyond themselves in an often solitary sport. Just like the handwritten inspirational quotes that live inside the tennis shed, Steve finds a way to reach his players, bolster them in challenging moments of matches, and celebrate their successes.
I will miss seeing Steve sitting outside the tennis shed, classic rock blaring over the speakers, in a cutoff tee and a backwards hat. The boys will miss his fiery pre-match speeches, his UCLA workouts, and his many stories from the tour. His presence is unlike any other, but he is sure to live on through stories and the many championship banners hung proudly on the Gilman courts.
Lightning, thank you for all that you have done. You will be missed.
A Note from Joe Lizana, Athletics Administrative Assistant
While Steve enjoyed a tremendous professional career, he is also an incredible teacher and communicator. Lightning has the ability to enable players to realize their full potential while keeping the work fun and fresh.
Steve maintained a fun and lively atmosphere — like with his use of nicknames. Each player and coach who has gone through the program received a nickname (mine was Smokin' Joe). The players fully embraced this tradition, using the nicknames in practice and in pre-match introductions. Steve also gives nicknames to each camper who enrolls in his summer camp. I am often amazed at Lightning's ability to recall each player, camper, and coach by their individual moniker, regardless of the timeline.
This article was published in June 2025 in advance of the summer 2025 issue of The Bulletin.