ITA Announces Men’s Hall of Fame Class of 2026

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TEMPE, Ariz. — The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is excited to announce the ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2026, which will celebrate players John Isner, Steve Johnson, and Kevin Anderson, coach Manny Diaz, and contributor John Frierson. “The 2026 ITA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony celebrates a remarkable group whose contributions have shaped collegiate tennis in distinct ways. John Isner, Stevie Johnson and Kevin Anderson reminded the tennis world that college tennis can serve as an excellent pathway to a successful professional tennis career. Manny Diaz is recognized for his impactful leadership and extraordinary achievements as a coach, while John Frierson is celebrated for his remarkable dedication and invaluable contributions off the court. Together, they represent the diverse excellence that continues to elevate our sport,” David Mullins, CEO of the ITA, said. The ITA Men’s Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1983 and has since inducted more than 270 players, coaches and contributors. Players are eligible for election to the Hall of Fame 10 years after the conclusion of their participation on a team and once they are no longer playing on the pro tour. Coaches are eligible immediately following retirement. The main criteria for election includes college accomplishments and honors earned after college.  The Men’s Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will take place prior to the NCAA Division I Championships at the University of Georgia in May 2026. Information for the May 2026 induction will become available later this year.  Please contact Rachel Dagen, ITA Director of Events & Awards, rdagen@itatennis.com, if you have any additional questions regarding the Class of 2026 induction at this time.  For more information regarding the newest inductees, continue reading below. Class of 2026 Manny Diaz, Coach, Georgia – The winningest coach in SEC history and one of the best in the history of collegiate tennis, Manuel Diaz retired in 2024 after 36 seasons as Georgia’s head coach. Diaz retired with 781 career wins, four NCAA team titles (1999, 2001, 2007-08), two ITA National Indoor championships and 11 trips to the NCAA finals. The Bulldogs dominated the SEC for much of his tenure, winning a combined (regular season or tournament) 29 conference titles. Diaz was named the SEC Coach of the Year seven times and was a three-time ITA National Coach of the Year. Diaz arrived at Georgia as a freshman in 1971, from San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was the beginning of a 46-year relationship between Diaz and Georgia that included many family ties. His younger brother, Ricky, played for the Bulldogs, as did two of his sons, Eric and Alex. Diaz was a two-time All-American as a student-athlete for the Bulldogs and returned to the program as Dan Magill’s assistant coach from 1982-88, helping Georgia win the 1985 and ’87 NCAA titles. Diaz took over for Magill as head coach after the 1988 season, and the Bulldogs advanced to at least the NCAA quarterfinals 27 times and finished ranked in the top five on 19 occasions. As an assistant or head coach, Diaz coached five NCAA singles champions and three doubles champions. He is already a member of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, the Georgia Tennis Hall of Fame, the Puerto Rican Tennis Hall of Fame and the USTA Southern Tennis Hall of Fame. Kevin Anderson, Player, Illinois – An NCAA doubles champion in 2006, a five-time All-American and the leader of an Illinois squad that reached the team final in 2007, Kevin Anderson pieced together an impressive resumé during his three seasons with the Illini before a successful run on the ATP Tour. The 6-foot-8 Anderson played professionally for 16 years, reaching as high as No. 5 in the ATP world rankings. He won seven career singles titles, reaching the finals of the 2017 U.S. Open and 2018 Wimbledon before ending his career with an overall singles record of 356-255. To reach the finals of Wimbledon, Anderson had to beat old rival and fellow 2026 Hall of Fame nominee, John Isner. More than a decade prior, Anderson fell in the 2007 NCAA team final to Isner at No. 1 singles. Here in the Wimbledon semis, the two met again in what was the second-longest Grand Slam match ever, with Anderson prevailing in a thriller (7-6, 6-7, 6-7, 6-4, 26-24). At Illinois, Anderson and partner Ryan Rowe won the 2006 NCAA doubles title. The following year, Anderson and Rowe were back in the final in addition to his appearance in the singles semifinals. He was a three-time First-Team All-Big Ten player and the 2007 Big Ten Player of the Year. John Isner, Player, Georgia – The top American men’s player throughout much of his pro career, John Isner arrived on the ATP Tour in 2007 following a highly successful four-year career at Georgia. Throughout college with the Bulldogs, the 6-foot-10 Isner went 138-27 in singles and 138-24 in doubles. Isner and Hall of Famer Al Parker are tied for most career singles wins at Georgia. Isner holds the title for the program’s all-time leader in doubles wins and total victories.  Over his final two seasons at Georgia, Isner went 84-8 in singles, guiding the Bulldogs to a near-perfect 2006 campaign in which their loss in the 2006 NCAA team final was the lone defeat that spring. Back for his senior year, Isner led the Bulldogs to an undefeated 2007 season en route to the NCAA team title. He also reached the finals of the 2007 NCAA singles tournament, losing to eventual Hall of Famer Somdev Devvarman (Virginia). Once he turned pro, Isner reached the third round of the 2007 U.S. Open — losing to Roger Federer in Arthur Ashe Stadium — just four months removed from his final collegiate match. From 2007-23, Isner climbed as high as No. 8 in the world, won 16 ATP titles, went 489-317 in singles and earned more than $22 million in prize money. Isner will be most known for the Wimbledon match that wouldn’t end. In 2010, Isner and Nicolas Mahut played …

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Hall of Fame 2025 posthumous class

ITA To Induct Posthumous Class to the Men’s Hall of Fame

by Griffin FabitsAnnouncement, Hall of Fame FeaturePosted on No Comments

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is honored to announce the first Posthumous Class of 2025, which will celebrate the legacy and impact of coaches Dr. Robert Screen, Jim Poling and Peter Scott plus player Peter Doohan. “We look forward to honoring the lasting legacy of those whose passion, perseverance, and profound contributions helped shape the very foundation of college tennis,” ITA CEO David Mullins said. “Though no longer with us, their spirit lives on in every match played, every student-athlete mentored, and every moment of excellence they inspired. It is with deep gratitude and admiration that we induct them posthumously into the ITA Hall of Fame — forever a part of the sport they so deeply enriched.” The ITA Men’s Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1983 and since, has inducted more than 270 players, coaches, and contributors. Players are eligible for election to the Hall of Fame 10 years after the conclusion of their participation on the team and once they are no longer playing on the pro tour. Coaches are eligible immediately following retirement. The main criteria for election includes college accomplishments and honors earned after college.  These individuals are now officially inducted into the ITA Men’s Collegiate Hall of Fame and will be celebrated throughout the year. Family members of these inductees will be invited to attend the 2026 ITA Men’s Collegiate Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Athens, Georgia next May whose class of inductees will be announced later this spring. For more information regarding the newest inductees, continue reading below. Posthumous ClassDr. Robert Screen, Coach, Hampton (1970-2011): Dr. Screen totaled 1,068 career victories over a 40-year career coaching the men’s program at Hampton. Screen, who graduated from what was then the Hampton Institute in 1953, led Hampton to Division II national championships in 1976 and 1989, becoming the first African-American coach to win an NCAA tennis title. He coached the women’s program as well after it was founded in 1996. Screen’s teams also won a pair of HBCU national championships and three Virginia Collegiate Championships. After joining the MEAC conference, the Pirates won 11 league titles (seven men’s and four women’s). Prior to joining the MEAC, Screen’s teams captured 22 straight Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles. During his career, his teams won 37 conference championships, with both the men’s and women’s teams making NCAA Division I championships appearances once Hampton joined the MEAC in 1996. When he wasn’t coaching, Screen served as chair of Hampton’s Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders — a job he held for 50 years. In addition to all of his coaching duties, Screen was the founding Chair of the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, creating the first degree-granting program in Speech Pathology at an HBCU. His first novel, We Can’t Run Away from Here, was published in 1958, and his last, The Ride to Nashville, came out in 2006. Screen passed away in 2015. Jim Poling, Coach, Army (1979-2022): During a coaching career that spanned from 1979-2022, the last 20 of them coming at Army, Poling earned 516 career wins. In 2001, while coaching at Rollins, he led the Tars to the Division II national championship and was named the Wilson/ITA Division II National Coach of the Year the following spring. Poling was also a six-time Patriot League Coach of the Year and became Army’s all-time wins leader, passing Dr. Steve Strome (176 wins), in April 2015. Poling’s coaching career began with a one-year stint as men’s head coach at Mississippi State, before moving to oversee both the men’s and women’s tennis programs at South Alabama in 1980. Poling steered the Jaguar men to three straight Sun Belt Conference titles and was twice named the league’s coach of the year. During his third season at South Alabama, the Jaguars captured the National Independent Tournament and Poling was named the NIT Coach of the Year. He spent three years running both men’s and women’s tennis programs at Tulsa, earning Missouri Valley Coach of the Year honors in 1987, before moving on to Rollins in September of 1993. While at Army, Poling was recognized as a recipient of the Mike Krzyzewski Award for Excellence in Teaching Character Through Sport, presented each year to coaches and cadets who have shown outstanding commitment to the development of noble character through athletic participation and leadership. As a former student-athlete himself, Poling was a three-time letter winner at Clemson and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player as a junior. Following graduation, Polling spent two years serving in the Army where he earned a Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam. Long before he was Army’s coach, Poling served in the Army for two years during the Vietnam war, earning a Bronze Star for his service. Poling died in July at age 75. Peter Scott, Coach, Flagler (1974-91): Named Flagler’s first men’s tennis coach in 1974, it took just three seasons for Scott to lead the Saints to their first NAIA national championship. They won it again the following season, as Flagler would also go on to produce three NAIA doubles champions in 1978, ’85 and ’88. Scott was a three-time NAIA National Coach of the Year (1978, ’85, ’86) and coached 25 All-Americans during his 15 seasons with the Saints. Across 17 years as Flager’s head coach, the Saints posted a 437-169 record across dual matches, good for a .721 win percentage. He was responsible for the best season in team history in 1976-77, as the Saints went 32-2 in dual play, won the NAIA team national championship and had champions in both singles (Gordon Jones) and doubles (Gordon Jones-Jim Twigg). Outside of coaching the tennis team, Scott taught classes in education and English during his Flagler tenure. He died in 2021 at age 87. Peter Doohan, Player, Arkansas (1980-83): Arguably the greatest player in the history of Arkansas’ program, Peter Doohan was a six-time All-American, the NCAA doubles champion with Pat Sarret in 1982 and the winner of the …

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Keeping Up with the ITA Hall of Fame: Everything You Need To Know

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In an effort to create more awareness among players, coaches and fans about the historical significance of collegiate tennis, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) has made many strong advancements to the ITA Men’s and Women’s Collegiate Tennis Halls of Fame over this past year.  To learn more about this year’s advancements and the latest ITA Hall of Fame news, continue reading below: ITA Hall of Fame Social Media Channels The ITA Hall of Fame is now on social media. To read the latest feature stories, view archived pictures and videos, watch video interviews and receive up to date information regarding upcoming events, follow the ITA Hall of Fame on Instagram and X / Twitter. To view longer length archived videos, check out the ITA Hall of Fame Archives playlist on the ITA YouTube channel. ITA Hall of Fame Monthly Newsletters Each month, the ITA Hall of Fame sends out a newsletter with the latest ITA Hall of Fame news and information. To sign up for these monthly ITA Hall of Fame Newsletters, you can do so on our home page under the “Subscribe to our newsletter” section. SmugMug Galleries The ITA Hall of Fame is continually updating organized galleries of its members, previous induction ceremonies and feature videos. The link to these galleries can be found below. ITA Hall of Fame Features To better highlight and showcase the players, coaches and contributors that have been inducted into the ITA Men’s and Women’s Collegiate Tennis Halls of Fame, the ITA is excited to release frequent feature stories about Hall of Fame members and their relation to current ITA tournaments and events. Click the link below to read through feature stories from this past year.  Updated Hall of Fame Websites Coming Soon The ITA is currently working on updated ITA Men’s and Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame websites. More information and details to coming regarding this advancement. Newest Induction Classes The ITA is proud to announce the 2024 ITA Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame induction class. This class celebrates Louise Allen and Shelley Keeler Whelan for their contributions as players, and Jan Brogan and John Peterson for their contributions as coaches. The 2024 ITA Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame Induction will take place in Williamsburg, Virginia on the campus of The College of William & Mary. The ceremony will be held on Saturday, October 5th 2024. Those interested in attending may fill out the registration form below or contact Jenna Kane, ITA Hall of Fame Manager (jkane@itatennis.com). The 2023 ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame Induction took place last May in Lake Nona, Florida, during the annual ITA Coaches Convention when the USTA’s National Campus hosted the NCAA DI, DII, and DI Tennis Championships. At the ceremony, the ITA welcomed Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Brian Hainline, Peter Smith, Patrick Galbraith and Mike Franks. Visit the ITA Men’s and Women’s Halls of Fame Today The ITA Men’s and Women’s Halls of Fame are housed in two various locations, with the men’s at the University of Georgia’s Henry Feild Stadium in Athens, Georgia (245 Burnett St., Athens, GA 30605) and the women’s at the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center in Williamsburg, Virginia (705 S Henry St, Williamsburg, VA 23185).  Entry into both Halls of Fame is free of admission. If you wish to visit or receive more information regarding the physical Halls of Fame, please contact ITA Hall of Fame Manager Jenna Kane (jkane@itatennis.com).  Donate to the ITA Hall of Fame The ITA Men’s and Women’s Halls of Fame rely entirely on private donations to support the growing collection of valuable and historically significant artifacts, and to sponsor the biennial ceremony honoring inductees. Your financial contribution will help significantly as we continue to honor the pioneers of college tennis and publicly highlight their achievements. You can make a donation to the ITA Women’s Hall of Fame or to the ITA Men’s Hall of Fame at the links below. About the ITA Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association Men’s and Women’s Halls of Fame aspire to preserve and celebrate the history and further the development of intercollegiate tennis through the collection of historic memorabilia and with inductions of notable players, coaches, and contributors. About the ITA – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is the governing body and coaches association of college tennis, both an advocate and an authority for the sport and its members. Comprised of 1,260 colleges and universities, 20,000 student-athletes, 1,700 varsity programs, 3,000 coaches, and 1,350 college tennis officials, the ITA empowers college tennis coaches at all levels to deliver vibrant tennis programs that are vital to their college communities and transformational to their student-athletes. Follow the 2023-24 college tennis season on the ITA website and ITA social channels on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.