Bryan Shelton
University of Florida Athletics Director Jeremy Foley announced Bryan Shelton as the men's tennis head coach on June 8, 2012. Shelton came to Gainesville after 13 seasons as the head coach of the Georgia Tech's women's program, where he led the Yellow Jackets to a national title in 2007, and a successful professional playing career that included reaching No. 55 in the ATP singles rankings and No. 52 in the ATP doubles rankings.
Before entering the collegiate coaching ranks, Shelton spent one season as a national coach with the United States Tennis Association. While coaching with the USTA, he worked with top juniors such as Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish, Robby Ginepri, Bobby Reynolds, Ashley Harkelroad, Tanner Cochran, Jamea Jackson and Carlie Gullickson.
Shelton spent nine seasons as a player on the ATP Tour, winning two singles titles and a pair of doubles titles, before retiring following the 1997 U.S. Open. In his professional career, Shelton was a seven-time U.S. Open participant, six-time Wimbledon participant, six-time Australian Open participant and a four-time French Open Participant. He reached the finals of the 1993 French Open in mixed doubles with partner Lori McNeil and was a semifinalist with McNeil in mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 1993. Shelton also reached the Round of 16 in singles at Wimbledon in 1994.
As a player at Georgia Tech, Shelton was an All-American and four-time All-Atlantic Coach Conference selection, helping guide the Jackets to a school-record 26 dual-match wins as a senior in 1988. He ranks second on the Jackets' career singles wins list with 101 victories and was inducted into the Georgia Tech Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame in 2002. He was also inducted into the Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.
Prior to the 2000 season when Shelton took the reins at his alma mater, Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets' women's tennis program had never made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In 13 seasons under Shelton, Tech compiled a 227-108 (.678) record and qualified for the NCAA Tournament every year. The Yellow Jackets won a national title in 2007, four-straight regular season Atlantic Coast Conference Championships (2005-08), four ACC Tournament titles (2005-07, 10) and back-to-back ITA National Indoor Championships (2007-08). The national title in 2007 was Georgia Tech’s first NCAA team title in any sport in school history. Shelton was named the 2007 ITA National Coach of the Year and the ACC Coach of the Year four times (2002, 05, 07, 08). He was also named the ITA South Region Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2006.
Along with the great team success that Shelton achieved at Georgia Tech, he also guided some individuals to outstanding results. In 2008, Shelton coached sophomore Amanda McDowell through the 2008 NCAA Singles Championships, helping her claim the first NCAA Individual title in school history. Before 2000, the program had never had a player earn All-American honors. Under Shelton, the Yellow Jackets have had the ITA National Player of the Year twice (McDowell, 2008; Irina Falconi, 2010), the ITA National Player to Watch (Kristi Miller, 2006) and ITA South Region Rookie of the Year (Miller, 2005). Falconi won back-to-back ACC Player of the Year awards (2009, '10) under Shelton's tutelage and Tech has had two ACC Rookie of the Year winners (Kelly Anderson, 2003; Miller, 2005), 12 All-Americans and 23 All-ACC selections in the past 13 seasons. Two players also won the prestigious Honda Award for Tennis (Miller, 2006; McDowell, 2008).
