Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation

Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation

Dan Magill, Georgia, 1981

Dan Magill, Georgia, inducted in 1981Dan Magill

  • Head tennis coach at the University of Georgia for 34 years with a 706-183 record, making him the winningest coach in NCAA Division I history.
  • His teams won 13 Southeastern Conference Titles and two National Team Championships.
  • Brought the ITA Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame to Athens, Georgia in 1984.
  • Relinquished his head coaching job in 1988 to become Georgia’s Director of Tennis.
  • Member of the Chi Phi Fraternity before entering the Marine Corps during WWII.
  • Received his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from UGA and wrote for the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
  • Married Rosemary Reynaud from New Orleans and has three children.

Bryan M. “Bitsy” Grant, Georgia, 1977

Bryan M. “Bitsy” Grant, Georgia,inducted in 1977Bitsy Grant

  • Nicknamed “Itsy Bitsy the Giant Killer” because of his five feet, four inch frame, Grant was a pioneering representative for the game of tennis in Georgia.
  • In 1954, The Bitsy Grant Tennis Center, which was once the headquarters of the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association, was named in his honor.
  • Two time quarterfinalists at Wimbledon, and played four U.S. Davis Cup Teams between 1935-1938.
  • Played on the University of North Carolina’s 1931 team that won the Southern Conference title. Selected All-American that same year.
  • Served in the Pacific Islands around New Guinea during WWII where he was involved in heavy firefights.
  • Inducted into the International Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island in 1972.
  • Bitsy Grant died at the age of 76.

Randy Stephens, Georgia, 2014

Randy Stephens, Georgia, inducted in 2014Randy Stephens

  • Began playing tennis as a freshman at Georgia State and played on the varsity team in 1976 and 1977, and has held leadership positions at the local, state, section, national and international levels since 1989
  • Served 2 terms as President of the Macon Tennis Association, Tournament Director for the 14U Southern Closed and a teaching professional in Macon before becoming a financial advisor in 2007
  • Elected President of 3 Georgia organizations for 2 terms each…USTA Georgia, the Georgia Professional Tennis Association and the Southern Professional Tennis Association
  • Chaired numerous USTA Southern Committees, including Junior Competi-tion and Nominating (twice), elected Southern President in 2001 and later served as Chairman of the Southern Tennis Patrons Foundation
  • USTA Southern Delegate and a member of the USTA Executive Committee, chaired the USTA Tennis Innovation and Wheelchair committees and served on numerous other national committees as well as the ITF Wheelchair Committee
  • Ranked number 1 in Georgia and in USTA Southern Men’s 35’s, 45’s and 55’s Doubles and 35s Mixed Doubles
  • Received the USTA Southern Jacobs Bowl in 2000, the Charles Morris Volunteer Service Award in 2003 and has been inducted in numerous Hall of Fames including the Georgia Tennis Professionals Hall of Fame, the USPTA Southern Tennis Hall of Fame, and the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame

 

Armstead C. Neely, Georgia, 2014

Armstead C. Neely, Georgia, inducted in 2014

  • Outstanding junior player and a member of the United States Junior Davis Cup team
  • Played number 1 for the University of Florida in the late 1960’s where he never lost a SEC singles dual match in 3 years of competition, was a 2-time All American, served as team captain and won 2 SEC singles and 2 SEC doubles titles
  • Began a 7-year pro career in 1971 where he won 11 titles on 5 continents, appeared in 3 Grand Slams and cofounded the first international tennis satellite tour, the first tournaments to award ATP points for satellite competition and established a Masters satellite tour-ending event
  • Coached the University of Alabama men’s team from 1977 to 1981
  • Supervised or directed more than 50 professional and junior tournaments, along with USTA satellite tour stops in Florida and Texas
  • Won 9 singles and 17 doubles titles at USTA National Championships in various age categories and played for 9 United States teams in international team competition, including 5 championship cup teams
  • Inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame and the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame

Al Parker, Georgia, 2010

Al Parker, Georgia, inducted 2010Al Parker

  • Recognized as the most accomplished junior tennis player in history
  • Won 25 national junior titles
  • The only player to be ranked number nationally in all 4 junior age divisions….Boy’s 12U in 1981, 14U in 1982, 16U in 1985 and 18U in 1986
  • During 1980-81 won the Boy’s 12U singles and doubles titles at all 4 national tournaments, the only player ever to capture all available national championships in one age division in one year….called the “Double Grand Slam”
  • Competed in 66 national singles and/or doubles tournaments and either won or was a finalist 38 times
  • Played number 1 singles at the University of Georgia, was a 4 year All-American and won 2 National Collegiate Singles Championships and 10 other collegiate singles and doubles titles, never losing a finals match
  • Inducted into the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame in 2007