University of Florida men’s tennis coach Andy Jackson resigned from his position on Friday.
Jackson had been the Gators’ head coach for 11 seasons, and lead the Gators to two SEC championships (2003 and 2005) and an appearance in the NCAA semifinals in 2005. Jackson was named SEC coach of the year in 2002 and 2005.
“I want to thank Jeremy Foley and the administration for the opportunity to lead the program for the last 11 years,” Jackson said. “I’m truly grateful for my time here, and I hope to have the opportunity to coach again.”
Jackson leaves UF with a 209-82 record, and a 90-32 record in SEC play. His record puts him in third place in school history in wins behind Bill Potter (415) and Ian Duvenhage (221).
Under Jackson, eight UF tennis players earned a combined 19 All-American honors, and 16 players earned 32 All-SEC honors. Twenty four Gators earned 46 SEC Academic Honor Roll mentions under Jackson.
“I accept Andy’s resignation and want to thank him for his many contributions to our program and University during his time here at Florida,” said UF athletic director Jeremy Foley. “He has always conducted his program in a first-class manner and his student-athletes have always performed well in the classroom.”
The Gators will begin their search for the 10th head coach in the program’s history immediately.
“Moving forward, our vision is that the University of Florida men’s tennis program can consistently be among the contenders for the SEC and national championships, and we’ll work deliberately to find a candidate who matches this vision,” Foley said.
Florida finished its 2012 season with a 16-9 record, 7-4 in SEC play and advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament where the Gators lost to Ohio State.
