Bedingfield to retire at close of season
After 22 years as women’s tennis coach, Sherry Bedingfield will retire at the conclusion of the 2002 season.
“I just realized the time is right for me to make this decision,” Bedingfield said. “It’s as simple as that. The one really hard part was telling my players. They’re my kids. But, as I told them, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll still be around to watch them play.”
Bedingfield came to USF in 1970 as a player and has spent the last 22 years as coach pushing the importance of academincs on her players, as well as athletics.
Since the 1990-91 season, Bedingfield’s players have earned an average grade point of at least 3.12. Last years team had a 3.71 average.
“It would be impossible to find a coach who embodies everything that is great about college athletics more so than Sherry Bedingfield,” USF athletics director Lee Roy Selmon said. “She put together the athletic and academic sides of college tennis and instilled that in all of her teams from the time she came to USF.
We are tremendously indebted to Sherry and we will miss her as a coach. But, at the same time, we know she is a USF Bull for life.”
On the court, Bedingfield’s teams have also been successful. Her record thus far is 339-244, including 18 conference championships under her coaching.
The women’s tennis team opens its season at home against Stetson Friday at 2 p.m. at the Varsity Tennis Courts.
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