Three-time women’s tennis All-American and the 2007 SEC Player of the Year Megan Falcon is a member of the 2023 LSU Athletics Hall of Fame induction class and will be formally enshrined at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, September 22, at the Manship Theater in downtown Baton Rouge.
The other members of the 2023 class are legendary women’s golf coach Karen Bahnsen; eighteen-time track and field All-American and football wide receiver Al Coffee; NCAA discus and shot put champion Danyel Mitchell; volleyball All-American Nyla Shepherd Moore; Jim Hawthorne, the “Voice of the Tigers” for over 30 years; and Dr. Sam Nader, who worked as LSU Football’s recruiting director and supervisor of operations during a brilliant 46-year career.
Megan Falcon is arguably the greatest player in history of LSU Women’s Tennis, a program that dates to the mid-1970s. Sometimes society exaggerates a bit when it comes to labeling someone “the greatest of all time,” but in Megan’s case, her career resume has plenty of evidence to solidify herself as one of the best of the best.
Falcon’s accomplishments both on the court and in the classroom are more than enough to warrant an induction into the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame. She will become on Friday the first LSU women’s tennis player to earn the esteemed honor.
“The LSU Athletics Hall of Fame is the most prestigious of collegiate Halls of Fame in the country,” Falcon said.” “The athletic prowess of anyone who played for the Tigers, coupled with the moral and ethical standard that makes being a part of the family so special, makes this the greatest honor ever bestowed on me.
“Both of my parents’ families grew up in Louisiana, and the love for the Tigers is a familial tie that weaves us all together. To be the first women’s tennis player inducted, and to stand alongside some of the greatest people and athletes in their respective sports, I am truly humbled.”
Before Falcon ever wore the purple and gold, she had quite the junior career. Falcon was born and raised in Alameda, Calif., and attended Alameda High. She was one of the best prospects to ever play for the Tigers, as she was rated a five-star recruit by tennisrecruiting.net.
Falcon’s highest national rankings as a junior player included No. 1 in U-16 and No. 5 in U-18. She also reached as high as No. 28 in doubles and No. 54 in singles in the International Tennis Federation rankings.
Falcon’s full accolade list at LSU rivals the great tennis players in NCAA history. Her sophomore year (2006-07) in Baton Rouge is considered one of, if not the best, individual seasons in the history of LSU Women’s Tennis.
She was named an Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American in singles after finishing ranked No. 2 in the nation, and she was voted the 2007 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. Falcon was also named First-Team All-SEC and the Louisiana Player of the Year.
She compiled an incredible 38-3 win/loss record in singles that included wins over 26 ranked opponents. She advanced to the 2007 NCAA singles semifinals, becoming the only women’s tennis player in LSU history to earn a semifinal berth.
Her junior and senior years saw her continue to excel on the court. She notched All-SEC First Team and Singles All-American honors in each of her final two years. She also won Louisiana Player of the Year again in 2008 and 2009. She is still the only Tiger to be ranked No. 1 in the nation in singles, as she accomplished the feat in her junior year (2007-08).
Falcon graduated with academic distinction in 2009, as she received a Bachelor of Arts in History and Natural Studies. She was named an ITA Scholar-Athlete in both 2008 and 2009.
Falcon is currently the associate head coach of women’s tennis at Auburn University, where in 2022 she was named the ITA Southwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year. She credits her desire to become a coach to the way her coaches at LSU impacted her.
“I coach now because I have been given the opportunity to impact young people, just as my life was impacted by my team and coaching staff when I left California to be a Tiger,” Falcon said. “To be a part of a chapter in life of so much growth as a coach, without my experiences at LSU, I would never be where I am, working in the best conference in the country, and coaching one of the best teams in the country.”
Megan Falcon is grateful for the success she had during her time as an LSU Tiger. However, it was the people she met during her time in Baton Rouge that matter the most to her.
“I cannot speak about my LSU experience without first thanking my coaches and teammates,” Falcon said. “To wear the purple and gold alongside them, and to go to work every day to become the best we could be, those relationships last a lifetime.
“I experienced some personal tragedy while in college, I lost my Dad at the start of my senior year. A very defining moment not just in my career, but in my life, and I experienced nothing but an outpouring of support, concern, and love from my coaches and teammates. Dealing with the expectation of being No. 1 in the country and wanting so badly to help my team succeed on the national stage, I learned so much about leadership and resilience. LSU made me better because of the people LSU allowed me to be around.”