ATHENS, Ga. – Legendary retired LSU men’s tennis coach Jerry Simmons will attend the inaugural ITA College Tennis Hall of Fame Reunion and Enshrinement in Athens, Ga. on May 26 during the Division I NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships.
Simmons earned entry into the ITA College Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998, and at age 52, he was the youngest coach to ever receive the honor. The 1988 ITA NCAA National College Coach of the year is also LSU’s all-time winningest coach recording a 278-105 mark and guided the team to 13 top-10 finishes during his tenure at LSU from 1983-1997.
Simmons will receive a green jacket along with all current College Tennis Hall of Fame members at a luncheon scheduled for noon on Wednesday, May 26.
The former LSU coach is one of only three living SEC coaches to earn the honor along with Dan Magill and Michael DePalmer.
The College Tennis Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1983 and is located at the University of Georgia with Magill serving as the current curator. Several notable coaches to earn the honor include Dick Gould, Dick Leach, Allen Fox, Emmett Pare and Dave Snyder. A few players to list the honor include Arthur Ashe, John McEnroe, Brad Gilbert, Jimmy Conners and Stan Smith.