Lele Forood
| Lele Forood | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 10, 1956 San Francisco, California, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Stanford University |
| Occupation | College Tennis Coach |
| Years active | 2001-present |
Lele Forood (born 10 September 1956) is the Peter and Helen Bing Director of Women's Tennis at Stanford University. She has been the head coach there since 2001, and has won seven NCAA Championships. Prior to that, she was a top amateur and college tennis player. As a professional, she is best known for reaching the doubles semifinals at the 1976 US Open, and at the 1978 US Open, upsetting reigning Wimbledon champion Virginia Wade. Forood reached a high ranking in singles of No. 30.
Amateur/College years
Forood was the high school state champion in Florida before becoming a student at Stanford in 1974. She became a pro tennis player after her sophomore year in college, but then returned to Stanford University and graduated in 1979 with a degree in sociology.[1]
While playing at Stanford, she was named an All-American in 1976. She also was a National Collegiate singles finalist as a freshman and a semifinalist during her sophomore campaign in leading Stanford to two second place national finishes.[2][3]
Pro career
In 1976, she competed with Raquel Giscafré in the US Open. Together they reached the doubles semifinals. Two years later, at the 1978 US Open, she proved herself by upsetting reigning Wimbledon champion and third-seeded Virginia Wade in three sets in the third round.[4] Forood won gold in singles and doubles in the 1975 Pan American Games.[2]
Forood was a member of the Board of Women's Tennis Association from 1979-1987 and served as its secretary-treasurer from 1983-87. She was active in promoting WTA events, and was the recipient of the WTA Player Service Award in 1983. After the tour and before coming back to Stanford, she promoted the first professional women's tour event in France from 1986–1988 at Strasbourg.[2]
Coaching career
Forood was hired as an assistant coach at Stanford under Frank Brennan, who coached her as a junior and as a pro. During that time, Forood was recognized in 1997 as the ITA Division I National Assistant Coach of the Year.
When Brennan retired as head coach after the 2000 season, Forood took his place. In 2001, her first year as head coach, Stanford won the NCAA championship, making her the first female coach to win the NCAA team title in tennis. Her team has appeared in the NCAA tournament every year since she began coaching in 2001, and she has won seven national titles. As of the 2014 season, her record is 350-26.[2]
During her coaching career at Stanford she achieved multiple championships. The team has also accomplished an 89 match winning streak spanning across three seasons (2004–2006). The home court winning streak at Stanford’s Taube Family Tennis Stadium dates back to the 1999 season and is recognized as the longest active home winning streak of any intercollegiate sport in NCAA Division I history.[2]
Among the top tennis players who have played for her at Stanford, they include Nicole Gibbs, Mallory Burdette, and Amber Liu.
Head coaching record at Stanford
| Year | Record | NCAA Results |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 30-0, 8-0 Pac-10 | NCAA Champions |
| 2002 | 27-1, 8-0 Pac-10 | NCAA Champions |
| 2003 | 25-2, 8-0 Pac-10 | NCAA Runner-Up |
| 2004 | 29-0, 8-0 Pac-10 | NCAA Champions |
| 2005 | 27-0, 7-0 Pac-10 Champions | NCAA Champions |
| 2006 | 30-0, 8-0 Pac-10 Champions | NCAA Champions |
| 2007 | 24-2, 8-0 Pac-10 Champions | NCAA Semifinals |
| 2008 | 22-5, 7-1 Pac-10 | NCAA Quarterfinals |
| 2009 | 19-5, 6-2 Pac-10 | NCAA Round of 16 |
| 2010 | 26-1, 8-0 Pac-10 | NCAA Champions |
| 2011 | 28-1, 8-0 Pac-10 | NCAA Runner-Up |
| 2012 | 21-2, 9-1 Pac-12 | NCAA Quarterfinals |
| 2013 | 22-4, 8-2 Pac-12 | NCAA Champions |
| 2014 | 20-3, 8-2 Pac-12 | NCAA Semifinals |
References
- ↑ Reynaud, Cecile, ed. (2005). She Can Coach!. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. p. 156. ISBN 978-0736052320.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Lele Forood > profile". Stanford Official Athletic Site. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
- ↑ Whiting, Sam (14 May 2006). "Tennis Pro: What has Lele Forood learned in 17 years coaching at Stanford?". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
- ↑ Bodo, Peter (1979). Inside Tennis : A Season on the Pro Tour. New York: Delta Books. pp. 267–268. ISBN 978-0440544111.