Admired for her impeccable standards of sportsmanship, Ann Valentine (b. 1932) coached the Brigham Young University Women’s Tennis team for three decades while leading a national effort to advance intercollegiate competition for women. Valentine joined the BYU faculty in 1965 as an instructor and rose to the rank of professor in 1989, also serving as assistant and later associate director of women’s athletics. Playing an increasingly challenging schedule, her teams won 15 conference championships, earned 12 Top 10 national rankings, and captured 31 individual All-America citations.

Valentine’s many “firsts” include her successful campaign, with Anne Pittman of Arizona State, for team championships at the women’s national collegiate tournament. She created the first national indoor round-robin team competition – now an ITA Grand Slam event.

Devoting countless hours to directing tournaments, conducting clinics, and chairing committees, Valentine received the ITA Rolex Meritorious Service Award in 1996, a year after being named the Wilson ITA National Division I Coach of the Year.