Veteran NCAA Men’s Tennis Coach Dies After Losing Battle With a Prolonged Illness

The entire tennis community has been deeply saddened after hearing the news of the demise of a veteran NCAA men’s tennis coach after a prolonged illness. Jerry Simmons was known for his remarkable endeavors for the Cajun team, for which he brought a number of talented and rising tennis stars.

Under Simmons’ guidance and coaching, the Cajuns have a number of achievements and records in their bag. Later, he also made a mark at Louisiana State University, where he became the second-most successful college tennis coach. Here’s what you need to know about the LSU Tennis Hall of Famer.

Veteran NCAA coach left a huge mark on the tennis community

A number of talented tennis players, including Bill Bryan, Steve Hernandez, and Gustavo Orellana came to prominence under Jerry Simmons’ guidance and coaching. The list also includes Tarek el Sakka who was part of the Egypt team during the Davis Cup.

Later, his Cajun teams had a number of achievements and records under their belt. It includes their dual match play record of  214-92-2, which they held for more than a decade. According to the Acadiana Advocate, they also emerged victorious at the Sun Belt Conference under Simmons.

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After his triumph with the Cajuns, he then went to the Louisiana State University and made secured more records for the college tennis team. With a 278-105 record, the LSU tennis coach became the second-most successful college coach in history. Taking note of his remarkable achievements, Simmons was also inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

During his run, the LSU team put on some brilliant displays in their 13 NCAA tournament appearances. In the process, they reached the Round of 16 of every NCAA tournament under Simmons’ mentorship. Apart from this, Simmons also helped their college tennis star, Donni Leaycraft, to win the NCAA singles title in  1989. Due to his remarkable antics, he also became the youngest coach to be elected to the ITA Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame.

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Looking back at such remarkable achievements, the tennis community was deeply saddened after hearing the news of his death due to a long illness at the age of 76.