Tennis: Simmons included in Hall of Fame reunion

bbrown@theadvertiser.com • Jerry Simmons has a big week planned. • May 25, 2010

Bruce Brown

The 1998 inductee into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame is in Athens, Ga., for a Hall of Fame reunion which coincides with the enshrinement of the 2010 Hall class as well as the NCAA Championships hosted by the University of Georgia.

NCAA Championships hosted by the University of Georgia.

 

"It’s going to be an enjoyable event," said Simmons, who was the youngest coach ever inducted into the Hall at age 52. "They’re going to give us all green jackets for the occasion."

Simmons made his mark as a collegiate tennis coach at USL (now UL), putting the Ragin’ Cajuns on the map with a 10-year record of 202-81 from 1973-82. His last five squads enjoyed 20-win campaigns.

He produced players like All-Americans Skipper Hunt, Carter Lomax and Tarek El Sakka, along with standouts Umberto Izquierdo, Paul Griffith, Steve Hernandez, Gus Orellana and Bill Bryan.

From there, Simmons moved to LSU and produced a 278-105 record that included 13 top-10 national rankings for the Tigers from 1983-97. His teams reached the NCAA Final 8 in 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992 and 1993, finishing as runners-up in 1988 when the Tigers finished the season 27-2.

His 1985 Tigers were SEC champions and his 1991, 1992 and 1995 teams finished second.

His overall collegiate coach was 480-186 when he passed the reins of the LSU program to Jeff Brown.

The reunion luncheon is scheduled for noon (11 a.m. Central Time) on Wednesday.

There are 57 men’s coaches in the Hall of Fame, with only 25 of them still living. That group of 25 includes three Southeastern Conference coaches — Simmons, Georgia coach Dan Magill and Tennessee’s Mike DePalmer — and all three will be on hand this week.

"That will make it special," said Simmons.

Simmons earned inclusion in the Hall of Fame one year after retiring from the game.

Two other coaches with Louisiana connections are in the Hall of Fame, Tulane’s Emmett Pare’ and Mercer Beasley, both deceased.