Gidley earns USPTA coach of the year award
9/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Air Force head women's tennis coach Kim Gidley was awarded the 2016 USPTA Steve Wilkinson College Coach of the Year award, presented recently as the organization's world conference.
Air Force finished the season 13-12 overall. The Falcons clinched their seventh straight winning season, a first at the Division I level. Chloe Forlini posted a 29-12 overall singles record and a 26-11 doubles mark. She was an all-Mountain West selection for singles.
"I am honored to receive this award from the United States Professional Tennis Association and I am proud to represent the United States Air Force Academy on and off the court," Gidley said. "The cadet athletes I work with on a daily basis are a big part of this award. Forty-one percent of the top players in college tennis are internationals, so I think this award is especially rewarding since the team I work with here at the Air Force Academy is truly, team USA.
In 2014-15, the year the award is based on, Air Force concluded the season with an 18-9 overall. The Falcons defeated a pair of nationally-ranked teams, beating No. 66 Kansas State and No. 69 Utah State. The team's 18 wins are the second-most in the Kim Gidley era, the fifth most in the history of the program, third most in the Division I era (1996-present) and most since Air Force was 20-10 in 1998-99 in Gidley's first season as head coach. Two players earned all-Mountain West honors while Natasha Rizvi won the ITA Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship Award. One of the most exciting moments that season was the team beating Army, 6-1.
Gidley earned professional educational credits at the USPTA World Convention from attending seminars from the top tennis coaches and former professional tennis players in the world during the annual conference.
