TEMPE, AZ – A legendary figure in the women’s tennis world, Jan Brogan left a legacy comparable to none. As the Cal Women’s Tennis coach from 1978 to 2007, Brogan compiled a 539-223 (.707) dual-match record, making her just the fourth Cal coach to reach the 500-win plateau while also making her the winningest coach in Cal tennis history upon her retirement. Under her direction, the Golden Bears made 26 consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament and had 19 top-ten finishes since 1982.
During Brogan’s 29 years at the head of the Cal Women’s Tennis Team, an impressive 61 All-Americans, 19 first-team All-Pac-10 players and five conference players of the year emerged from the program. In 1991, Lisa Albano became the first Bear to reach the NCAA singles final while Susie Babos was Cal’s first singles champion, claiming the title in 2006. The Bears also found success in doubles under Brogan, capturing four NCAA doubles titles with Amanda Augustus and Amy Jensen winning back-to-back championships in 1999 and 2000. In 2016, Augustus and Jensen were named the Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Century.
Prior to her coaching career, Brogan chose to forego immediate college enrollment following high school to pursue her career on the professional tour. On tour, Brogan played in Northern California Open tournaments, as well as the Pacific Northwest Circuit.
Following her time on tour, Brogan taught as an assistant professional at Los Gatos Swim and Tennis Club and the Blossom Hills Tennis Club while attending De Anza Junior College. Transferring to San Jose State, Brogan earned a degree in Physical Education and her California teaching credential. Brogan continued playing in Northern California Open Tournaments even after beginning her coaching career at Cal.
In 1998, Brogan completed a M.A. in Sports Psychology from John F. Kennedy University. As a result of her dedication to lifelong learning and a desire to share her knowledge of sport psychology techniques, Brogan taught applied sports psychology and life skills classes for student-athletes at Cal. As a developmental coach, Brogan prioritized nurturing players’ potential and fostering a cohesive team environment, emphasizing unity and collective success.
Reflecting on her coaching career, Brogan cherishes the early years of building the program from the ground up, and forging bonds with her players. “I was fascinated with how to build a team environment within the context of an individual sport. The all for one, one for all mentality was at the heart of it. It didn’t come together every season, but when it did, that’s when we had our best results.” Brogan’s dedication to excellence earned her the 1990 Wilson ITA National Coach of the Year award, ITA Northwest Region Coach of the Year honors in 1988, 1991, 1993, and 2007, and conference coach of the year eight times during her career 1982-87, 1992, and 1994. Brogan received her first U.S. National team assignment in 1985 and in 1995, she was the U.S. women’s head coach at the World University Games. Brogan has been a member of the ITA Board of Directors, ITA Operating Committee, NCAA Championship Tennis Committee, and the Chair of the ITA Sport Science Committee.
The ceremony to celebrate Jan, and three other inductees, will take place in Williamsburg, Virginia at The College of William & Mary on Saturday, October 5th at 5:30 pm. To RSVP, click on the link below.
About the ITA Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame – The ITA Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame, founded in 1995, was created to celebrate the milestones in women’s collegiate tennis, from the early struggles for recognition to the achievement of full-fledged intercollegiate competition. The Women’s Hall of Fame is operated by The College of William & Mary and is housed in the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center on the William & Mary campus. Since 1995, over 80 players, coaches and contributors have been inducted. Players are eligible for election to the Hall of Fame 10 years after the conclusion of their collegiate career. Coaches are eligible immediately following retirement. The main criteria for election are college accomplishments and honors earned after college.
About the ITA – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is the governing body and coaches association of college tennis, both an advocate and an authority for the sport and its members. Comprised of 1,260 colleges and universities, 20,000 student-athletes, 1,700 varsity programs, 3,000 coaches, and 1,350 college tennis officials, the ITA empowers college tennis coaches at all levels to deliver vibrant tennis programs that are vital to their college communities and transformational to their student-athletes. Follow the 2023-24 college tennis season on the ITA website and ITA social channels on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
