Lele Forood
| Lele Forood | |
|---|---|
| Born | San Francisco, California, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Stanford University |
| Occupation | College Tennis Coach |
| Years active | 2001-present |
Lele Forood 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 U.S. Open, and in 1977, upsetting then-current Wimbledon Champion Virginia Wade in singles at the U.S. Open. She reached a high ranking in singles of 30.
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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.
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.[1][2]
Pro Career
In 1976, she competed with Rachel Giscafre in the U.S. Open. Together they reached the doubles semifinals. Just one year later, again at the U.S. Open, she proved herself by upsetting then-current Wimbledon Champion Virginia Wade. Forood won gold in singles and doubles in the 1975 Pan American Games.[1]
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 has been extremely active in promoting WTA events, and was the recipient of the prestigious 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.[1]
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.[1]
Her coaching career at Stanford is full of notable accomplishments and 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.[1]
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 |
