LEXINGTON, Ky. ? Two Kentucky men?s tennis greats were inducted into the sport?s UK Hall of Fame Saturday evening during ceremonies before the men?s semifinals of the Fifth-Third Bank Tennis Championships held on campus at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex. Legendary Wildcat coach Richard E. Vimont was honored with 1984 UK captain and current University of Florida head coach Andy Jackson by Kentucky head coach Dennis Emery.
Each Wildcat received a brief introduction of their accomplishments and given awards before local Lexington tennis fans congratulated each with applause. Both coaches? honors are well-deserved.
In 1963, legendary Kentucky athletics director Bernie Shively hired local Lexington attorney Richard E. Vimont to take over the reins of the Kentucky men?s tennis program. At the time Vimont took over the University of Kentucky program, it had historically finished at or near the bottom of the Southeastern Conference. No full scholarships were being offered to tennis players in the early ?60s. The UK squad practiced and played its matches on four courts behind Memorial Coliseum, but there were no accommodations for spectators. In addition, there were no indoor facilities available for team workouts.
The Kentucky tennis program advanced in many ways under Vimont?s leadership. During the eight years Vimont headed the tennis program at UK, he dramatically changed the scholarship opportunities for his players. When Vimont left the program in 1971, there were eight players each receiving full scholarships.
Coach Vimont was also responsible for major facility upgrades at his alma mater. During Vimont?s coaching tenure at UK, nine new tennis courts were built near the dormitory towers with spectator seating adjoining two of the courts. In addition, indoor courts were built so that the team could practice during the winter months. Vimont also served as president of the Southeastern Conference Tennis Coach?s Association.
Vimont ended the fourth-longest coaching tenure at UK with a 115-45-2 overall record. The legendary Wildcat coach claims the best winning percentage (.710) among the 10 men?s varsity coaches in the storied history of UK tennis.
Coach Andy Jackson was determined to make his mark on Southeastern Conference tennis as soon as he stepped foot on Kentucky?s campus in the early 1980?s. The Kentucky native earned a spot on the Wildcat tennis team as a walk-on. His hard work and dedication paid off. During his junior and senior seasons, Jackson played primarily at the No. 2 slot in both singles and doubles at UK. In Jackson?s senior year, he led the Wildcats to the 1984 NIT Championship as captain. In the post-season, the captain was selected as Kentucky?s Outstanding Christian Athlete of the Year.
Soon after graduation Jackson started his prolific coaching career when he was hired by Mississippi State as the head women?s tennis coach. Jackson quickly turned around the Bulldog program. In 1989 he coached Jackie Holden and Claire Pollard to claim the women?s NCAA Doubles Championship. Later that year Jackson took over the men?s team at Mississippi State. A few seasons later, the Bulldogs were in the SEC Championship mix. Mississippi State captured the1992 and 1993 SEC regular season championships under Jackson.
In 1994, he coached Laurent Miquelard and Joc Simmons to the men?s NCAA Doubles Championship. As a result, Jackson became the only coach in the history of collegiate tennis to coach both NCAA men’s and women’s doubles champions at the same school. Jackson also guided that ?94 Bulldog team to the NCAA Final Four. Four years later in 1998, MSU made another Final Four appearance. During his 13 years as the men?s head coach in Starkville, Jackson?s squads made five total NCAA quarterfinal appearances.
In 2001 Jackson took over the men?s tennis program at the University of Florida with continued success. In 2003, the Gators advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals and two years later made a Final Four appearance. Jackson?s Florida teams also won SEC Championships in 2003 and 2005. With the ?03 crown, Jackson became the first head coach in SEC history to win an SEC men?s title at two different member institutions. In January 2006, Jackson guided the Gators to the No. 1 position in the ITA Poll for the first time in school history.
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