Former Abraham Baldwin College tennis coach Norman "Red" Hill was recently inducted into the Georgia Southwestern (GSW) Hall of Fame. Hill retired from ABAC last year after 34 years of service.
The winningest men's college tennis coach in the United States, Hill was named National Coach of the Year three times. He earned a national collegiate record 849 tennis victories and two National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national championships, one in 1984 and one in 1999.
Hill's teams qualified for the NJCAA national tournament in all 34 years he coached. He was the fourth person ever inducted into the NJCAA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame in 1993 and received the Achievement in Sports Award from the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Hill attended Georgia Southwestern from 1956-57 where he was an all-state baseball and tennis player.
During Hill's career, only 16 of his players did not receive four-year degrees. Sixty-nine of his players were selected for All-America status; seventeen of his players have earned doctoral degrees.
Hill said being inducted into the GSW Hall of Fame was a great honor, and it was flattering to be recognized by his peers.
"To me, receiving this honor is like receiving a gold medal at Sydney," he said. "ABAC has been so wonderful to me. Any coach in the world would have loved the opportunity I've had. The college and the town always supported my program, and the teachers were very understanding. I think my longevity at ABAC, having spent 34 years here, also contributed to my receiving this honor."
ABAC Interim President Homer Day said "'Red' Hill was to coaching tennis what Red Auerbach was to coaching basketball. He put ABAC on the International Tennis map."
Dr. Bettie Horne, ABAC's Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs, said Hill was one of ABAC's most intense coaches.
"When his teams took the court, he was 100 percent into the game for as long as it lasted," Horne said. "It has always been fun to observe such an intense competitor. It's a great pleasure to see him given the recognition by his colleagues that he so richly deserves."
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