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Andres V. Brandi (1952 – February 8, 2024) was an American college and professional tennis coach. He led Florida Gators women's tennis team to win multiple National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national tournament championships in the 1990s.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1952 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Died | (aged 72) |
| Playing career | |
| 1972–1975 | Trinity University |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1985–2001 | University of Florida |
| 2017–2022 | LSU |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 460–43 (.915) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| NCAA (1992, 1996, 1998) Southeastern Conference (1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001) Southeastern Conference Tournament (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000) | |
| Awards | |
| SEC Coach of the Year (1987, 1988, 1993, 1996, 1998) USPTA National Coach of the Year (1988) USPTR National Coach of the Year (1996, 1998) ITA National Coach of the Year (1989, 1996) University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame | |
Early life and education
editBrandi was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico.[1] He attended Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, where he played for the Trinity Tigers men's tennis team in NCAA Division I competition.[1] Brandi graduated from Trinity University with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1975.
In his early 20s, Brandi trained with Australian tennis player - Harry Hopman.
Coaching career
editBrandi was a touring professional for several years after graduating from college, but quickly discovered his true calling was refining the technique and improving the play of other up-and-coming professional tennis players. Notably, he coached Kathy Rinaldi and Carling Bassett.[2] Brandi was also the executive director of IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
Brandi became the head coach of the Florida Gators women's tennis team at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida in August 1984.[3] From the 1985 season through 2001, he built the Lady Gators tennis program from a strong regional team into a national powerhouse, second only to the national rival Stanford Cardinal women's tennis team. His teams won three NCAA national tournament championships (1992, 1996, 1998) and were the runners-up in five other NCAA tournaments (1988, 1990, 1995, 1997, 1999). Brandi's Lady Gators also won six National Indoor Tennis Championships and fourteen Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships, and never finished lower than second in the SEC regular season standings.
In 1988 two Lady Gators players: Shaun Stafford and Halle Cioffi, played against each other in the individual NCAA singles championship final.[4] Lisa Raymond (1992, 1993) and Jill Craybas (1996) also won individual NCAA singles championships during Brandi's tenure. In NCAA doubles championship play, three Brandi-coached doubles teams won four NCAA doubles championships: Jillian Alexander and Nicole Arendt in 1991; Dawn Buth and Stephanie Nickitas in 1996 and 1997; along with Whitney Laiho and Jessica Lehnhoff in 2001.
At the time of his resignation from the Gators coaching staff, he had the highest winning percentage (.915) of any coach in NCAA tennis history, and had the fifth highest number of career victories (460) among all NCAA coaches who have coached for at least 5 years.[5] He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as an "honorary letter winner" in 2006.[6][7]
After leaving the University of Florida, Brandi has worked for IMG Academy,[8] the Chris Everett Tennis Academy, and the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute. Later, he was a member of the player development staff and a national coach at the United States Tennis Association.
On June 13, 2017, Andy Brandi and Chris Brandi were named co-head coaches for the LSU Tigers tennis team.[9]
Coaching record
edit| School | Year | Overall | Conference Record | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 1985 | 21-6 | 8-0 | NCAA Quarterfinals |
| Florida | 1986 | 17-7 | 9-0 | DNP |
| Florida | 1987 | 29-1 | 9-0 | NCAA Semifinals |
| Florida | 1988 | 29-2 | 9-0 | NCAA Runner-Up |
| Florida | 1989 | 26-3 | 9-0 | NCAA Semifinals |
| Florida | 1990 | 32-3 | 11-1 | NCAA Runner-Up |
| Florida | 1991 | 31-1 | 11-1 | NCAA Semifinals |
| Florida | 1992 | 30-0 | 14-0 | NCAA Champions |
| Florida | 1993 | 26-2 | 14-0 | NCAA Semifinals |
| Florida | 1994 | 23-6 | 12-2 | NCAA Quarterfinals |
| Florida | 1995 | 27-3 | 14-0 | NCAA Runner-Up |
| Florida | 1996 | 31-0 | 14-0 | NCAA Champions |
| Florida | 1997 | 31-1 | 14-0 | NCAA Runner-Up |
| Florida | 1998 | 27-0 | 14-0 | NCAA Champions |
| Florida | 1999 | 31-2 | 13-1 | NCAA Runner-Up |
| Florida | 2000 | 25-3 | 10-1 | NCAA Semifinals |
| Florida | 2001 | 24-3 | 11-0 | NCAA Semifinals |
| LSU | 2017 | |||
| LSU | 2018 | |||
| LSU | 2019 | |||
| LSU | 2020 | |||
| LSU | 2021 | |||
| LSU | 2022 | |||
| Total: | 460-43 | 196-6 |
Personal life
editBrandi and his wife Nancy had one son, Chris, who played for coach Andy Jackson's Florida Gators men's tennis team from 2003 to 2006.[11] Chris Brandi was previously an assistant coach for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's tennis team[12] before becoming co-head coach for the men's tennis team at LSU with his father. Andy Brandi's niece, Kristina Brandi, is a former touring professional who was ranked as high as twenty-seventh in the world.
Andy Brandi died on February 8, 2024, at the age of 72.[13]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b Paul Jenkins, "Gators hire new women's tennis coach," The Gainesville Sun, pp. 1D & 4D (August 22, 1984). Retrieved June 16, 2011.
- ^ Derek Catron, "Gators' Players Find Brandi's Dandy," Orlando Sentinel (April 20, 1988). Retrieved June 17, 2011.
- ^ GatorZone.com, Women's Tennis History, 2001 Roster, Andy Brandi Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
- ^ "Stafford wins NCAA title over Cioffi," The Gainesville Sun (May 20, 1988). Retrieved June 16, 2011.
- ^ "Women's Tennis Coach Andy Brandi Resigns Archived 2012-10-04 at the Wayback Machine," GatorZone.com (May 29, 2001). Retrieved June 18, 2011.
- ^ F Club, Hall of Fame, Honorary Letter Winners. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
- ^ Robbie Andreu, "Wuerffel, Doering to enter UF Hall," Ocala Star-Banner (April 21, 2006). Retrieved July 22, 2011.
- ^ Joe Schad, "UF Tennis Coach Leaves To Join IMG," Orlando Sentinel (May 30, 2001). Retrieved June 18, 2011.
- ^ "LSU Tabs Brandis as Men's Tennis Co-Head Coaches". lsusports.net. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
- ^ "Gator Women's Tennis Roster/Bios - GatorZone.com". April 2, 2012. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
- ^ "Men's Tennis History, 2005 Roster". GatorZone.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
- ^ "2011 Men's Tennis Roster". WakeForestSports.com. Retrieved June 18, 2011.
- ^ "'RIP' – Tennis World Mourns to the Heartbreaking Demise of 72YO Hall of Famer American 'Coaching Legend'". Essentially Sports. February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024.