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Thread: Jerry Simmons: Louisiana Tennis Coach 1972-1982

  1. Hall of Fame Jerry Simmons: Louisiana Tennis Coach 1972-1982

    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.

    ...

    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 ...


  2. Default Re: Simmons included in Hall of Fame reunion

    He did an Yevette before her when he went to LSU---knew him quite well and hold nothing against his going to his Alma Mater and had always been his dream----He really brought up the program for the Cajuns---worked his ass off !!!!!!!


  3. #3

    Default Re: Simmons included in Hall of Fame reunion

    I recall it too. He didn't seem to make much of an issue about the move like Yvette did. He was a good coach and recruiter.


  4. #4

    Default Re: Simmons included in Hall of Fame reunion

    He was a good recruiter, but nowhere close to the coach that Gary Albertine was.


  5. Default Re: Simmons included in Hall of Fame reunion

    With community backing, Simmons was able to be creative, featuring an electronic scoreboard at Cajun Courts and ESPN's first telecast of a college match among other things. Then when he began the ROLEX fall tennis tournament, a showcase for the best in the college game, it validated the direction he was seeking for his program.




  6. Default Re: Simmons included in Hall of Fame reunion

    Probably a bunch of the kids signed to be around his wife at the time ---Miss Susan was a very pretty, very smart, and very nice teacher and person!!! We actually were neighbors with the Simmons and had some great times together!!!!


  7. Ragin' Cajuns Simmons To Be Inducted Into Louisiana Tennis Hall Of Fame



    Legendary Ragin' Cajuns tennis coach Jerry Simmons will be inducted into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday at the oldest tennis club in the nation, the New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club.

    Simmons spent 26 years as a head coach in the state of Louisiana and is the winningest coach in both Louisiana and LSU history.

    Simmons was hired in 1971 as the men's tennis head coach at the age of 24 to become the youngest head tennis coach in the nation at the time. In 11 years, Simmons compiled a 214-92 record and turned Louisiana into a national tennis powerhouse.

    In 1982, the Ragin' Cajuns had their best season under Simmons going 24-7 in dual match play and reaching a national ranking of No.12. His squad went 5-0 against SEC teams that year.

    One of the things Simmons is most famous for was the Cajuns Classic. Started in 1977, Simmons created the first corporate sponsored college tennis tournament in the nation. The Cajun Classic would become the nation's premier college tennis event.

    "The Cajun Classic would take us to a completely different level," Simmons said. "The tournament featured 32 of the best college tennis players in the nation in a fall preview of the spring NCAA Championship."

    The tournament helped produce 20 professional grand slam winners or finalists, four No. 1 doubles players in the world, two American Olympic gold medalists, and seven NCAA champions.

    During his time at the helm of the Cajuns, Simmons was named Southland Conference coach of the year three times 1977,1978 and 1979. He led Louisiana to six consecutive Southland Conference championships from 1977-1982.

    In 1982, Simmons took the head job at LSU where he would post a 278-105 record in 15 years.

    Simmons also served as the tournament Director of Allstate Sugar Bowl from 1994-1997,
    He helped create an International Tennis Federation (ITF) Junior Super Event while with the Sugar Bowl. The event would rise from the lowest ITF level from a group 5 to a level 1 in just six years, which was unheard of in ITF history.

    Simmons saw future pro's Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, Mardy Fish, Guillermo Coria, and David Nalbandian all play in the Sugar Bowl.

    Following his time with the Sugar Bowl, Simmons became the founder and Circuit Director of the American ITF Junior circuit from 1999-2006. In 1998, Simmons created an ITF American Circuit to help young American tennis players earn world rankings with the International Tennis Federation.

    Prior to his circuit, there were no entry level Group 5 ITF junior events in the United States. The American ITF junior circuit allowed Americans to play for world rankings without the expense of traveling outside the country.

    In 2001, he partnered with Lafayette tennis professional Chanda Rubin. Rubin became the title sponsor for the circuit.

    "Chanda would help junior players across the nation have opportunities to chase their dreams by funding the circuit." Simmons added.

    The circuit would become the Chanda Rubin American ITF junior circuit and would grow from three tournaments to eight with Simmons directing the circuit until 2006.

    The events saw a number of future pros including John Isner, Sam Querry, Ryan Harrison, Ryan Sweeting, Donald Young, Maria Sharapova, Ashley Hackleroad and Brian Baker.

    Homes SO Clean

  8. Default Simmons To Be Inducted Into Louisiana Tennis Hall Of Fame

    NEW ORLEANS - Legendary Ragin’ Cajuns tennis coach Jerry Simmons will be inducted into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday at the oldest tennis club in the nation, the New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club. Simmons spent 26 years as a head coach in the ...


  9. UL Tennis Simmons always aimed for the sky

    Jerry Simmons knew it was risky, but it was a risk worth taking.

    He was 24 years old and wanted to be a head tennis coach, so he accepted the position at Louisiana in 1971 and headed east from Texas.

    The Ragin' Cajun program had gone winless the previous season, against lackluster competition, but the Amarillo native was undaunted. He managed a 10-11-2 inaugural campaign in 1972, then got busy winning consistently.



  10. UL Tennis Jerry Simmons died

    When Jerry Simmons arrived as the college tennis coach at Louisiana, he found a sleepy program that wasn't much above intramural status.

    His Cajuns teams compiled 214-92-2 record in 11 years of dual match play.

    Homes SO Clean

  11. Default Re: Jerry Simmons died

    How did I miss this? RIP coach


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