BYU Hall of Fame tennis coach and administrator Ann Valentine passes away

PROVO, Utah (June 20, 2018) — BYU Hall of Fame women’s tennis coach and former athletic administrator, Ann Valentine, passed away on June 15 surrounded by family and friends. Throughout her life, Ann incorporated life’s lessons to bring out the best in herself and in the athletes she loved. 

Ann joined the BYU Athletic Department family in 1969 when she became the women's tennis coach and ushered in a new era of excellence, both at the university and nationally. Ann’s many “firsts” include her successful campaign—along with Anne Pittman of Arizona State—for team championships at the women's national collegiate tournament. She was also the catalyst behind the first national indoor round-robin team competition—now an ITA Grand Slam event.

Over a legendary, 27-year coaching career, Ann’s teams won 71 percent of their matches and accumulated 427 victories, making her the second-winningest Division I coach in NCAA tennis history. Along the way, her teams won 15 conference championships and 19 were ranked in the top 20, including 11 in the top 10. She coached 17 student-athletes who won a combined 31 All-America awards. 

Twelve times Ann was named conference coach of the year. Four-times she was the Wilson/ITA Central Region Coach of the Year, and in 1996 she received the Rolex Meritorious Service Award. 

“Ann was a legendary coach and administrator who was one of the real pioneers of BYU Women’s Athletics,” said BYU director of athletics Tom Holmoe. “She played a pivotal role in establishing the great tradition of Women’s Athletics at BYU.” 

In 1995, she stepped down as women's tennis coach to become Associate Director of Women's Athletics and more fully promote the progress and success of the BYU women's athletic program. Ann’s administrative insight helped produce the funds, facilities and organization necessary for the success of BYU’s women’s teams. She also played a prominent role in the addition of women’s soccer and softball. 

In 1999, she was inducted into the BYU Hall of Fame and in 2002 was inducted into the Women’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame. Ann retired from BYU in 2003.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education at Pennsylvania’s Slippery Rock College (1955), followed by a master’s degree at Penn State (1961) and post graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania (1962). While earning her bachelor’s degree, Ann competed on the volleyball, field hockey and basketball teams as well as tennis, losing just one tennis match in four years.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 23, 2018, at the LDS Stake Center Chapel, 240 South Center Street, American Fork, Utah. Family and friends may call on Friday, June 22, 2018, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Warenski Funeral Home located at 1776 North 900 East, American Fork, Utah, and again on Saturday morning from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the church prior to the services. Ann will be interred where she was born in her home state of Pennsylvania. Condolences may be shared with the family at http://www.warenski.com/valentineA.php and http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/deseretnews/obituary.aspx?n=antoinette-marie-valentine&pid=189336951&fhid=19562.

In honor of Ann and her lifelong commitment to always helping others, a BYU Women’s Tennis Scholarship Fund has been established in her name to help future scholar-athletes have an opportunity to fulfill their dreams. Please visit give.byu.edu/ann-valentine to make a donation.