{"670388":{"#nid":"670388","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Brian Shelton: The Remarkable Journey from Tennis Star to Coaching Legend ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn the world of collegiate tennis,\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E few stories rival that of \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ramblinwreck.com\/coach\/bryan-shelton\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBrian Shelton\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EA \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Edistinguished \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ealumn\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eus\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E of Georgia Tech\u0027s H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E (\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EISyE\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EShelton \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eis a celebrated \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eleader \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ewith a\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003En impressive legacy\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E including being the first\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAfrican-American\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ealumnus\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Emale head coach\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eat Georgia Tech\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFrom Alabama to A\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E-town\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E: A Tennis Star\u0027s Ascent\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFrom his early days as a rising tennis star in Huntsville, Alabama, to his stellar collegiate career at \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, and now as a celebrated coach, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EShelton\u2019s\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ejourney is nothing short of inspiring.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EShelton\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E j\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eoined the Yellow Jackets men\u0027s tennis team from 1985 to 1988. Throughout his four years at Georgia Tech, Shelton achieved remarkable success, becoming the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theacc.com\/\u0022\u003EAtlantic Coast Conference\u003C\/a\u003E (ACC) singles champion in 1985.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESmashing Success\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWith a racquet in hand and a heart aflame with determination, each swing \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ebrought\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E him closer to an astonishing destiny. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHis partnership with Richy Gilbert also secured the ACC \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Edoubles \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Echampionship in 1986. Shelton was named an All-American in 1988. As a testament to his excellence, Shelton graduated from Georgia Tech with a Bachelor of Science in \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EI\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Endustrial \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EE\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Engineering in 1989, and he was later inducted into the Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EShelton climbed as high as 55th in the \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Association_of_Tennis_Professionals\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAssociation of Tennis Professionals\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E (\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EATP\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E singles\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E rankings \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eand\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E played in seven U.S. Opens, six Australian Opens and four French Opens while posting victories against the likes of Andre Agassi, Thomas Muster, Richard Krajicek and Todd Martin.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EShelton was not only an inspirational player, but also a record-breaking coach. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAfter retiring from the tour, Shelton coached \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMaliVai\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E Washington, a 1996 Wimbledon finalist, until being named a \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EUnited States Tennis \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAssociation\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E(\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EUSTA\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E) \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENational Coach.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWith the USTA, Shelton \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eassisted\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E with the development of some of the top juniors in the Southeast, covering North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETennessee\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E and Kentucky.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHis son is in the Semifinals of the US Open and he is coaching him.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ECoach Shelton: Forging Champions\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn 2000, Shelton returned to his alma mater, Georgia Tech, this time as the head coach of the women\u0027s tennis team. Under Shelton\u0027s guidance, the women\u0027s tennis program saw a remarkable transformation. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHe is the only \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cem lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENational Collegiate Athletic Association\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E (\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENCAA\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ecoach to win an NCAA Women\u0027s \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EChampionship\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe 2005 team \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ea\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eccomplished\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Emultiple \u0022firsts\u0022 for the program; \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eprior to his coaching tenure, the Georgia \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ET\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eech women\u0027s tennis team had never qualified for the NCAA tournament\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EShelton\u0027s winning percentage at Georgia Tech was nothing short of remarkable, and he recruited top talent to the Institute, including the first All-American\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eand Academic All-American in the program\u0027s history.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EShelton\u0027s coaching prowess shone as he led the Yellow Jackets to unprecedented success. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHis teams made seven consecutive NCAA appearances, captured two ACC Championships, and produced several top-ranked players.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EA\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Et the ACC Championships, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ehis teams \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eearn\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eed\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006. In 2005 and 2006, Georgia Tech made its deepest NCAA Championship runs in program history, reaching the Sweet-16 both years. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAs a result, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EShelton was named the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wearecollegetennis.com\/\u0022\u003EIntercollegiate Tennis Association\u003C\/a\u003E (ITA) Coach of the Year in 2007.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EShelton\u0027s journey from a rising tennis star in Huntsville, Alabama, to his remarkable collegiate career at Georgia \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETech\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E, and his \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Esubsequent\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E success as a celebrated coach, is a testament to Georgia Tech\u0027s excellence in \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eacademia\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E and athletics.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn the world of collegiate tennis, few stories rival that of Brian Shelton. Shelton, a distinguished \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ealumnus\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E of Georgia Tech\u0027s H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, is a celebrated coach with a legacy that continues to grow.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The ISyE Alumnus that Transformed Georgia Tech\u0027s Women\u0027s Tennis Program "}],"uid":"36481","created_gmt":"2023-10-12 15:39:32","changed_gmt":"2023-10-12 16:02:38","author":"nesparza7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-10-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-10-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672027":{"id":"672027","type":"image","title":"Brian Shelton","body":null,"created":"1697126408","gmt_created":"2023-10-12 16:00:08","changed":"1697126444","gmt_changed":"2023-10-12 16:00:44","alt":"Brian Shelton at the Atlanta Open","file":{"fid":"255205","name":"Brian Shelton.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/12\/Brian%20Shelton.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/10\/12\/Brian%20Shelton.png","mime":"image\/png","size":439978,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/10\/12\/Brian%20Shelton.png?itok=ziB1th_c"}}},"media_ids":["672027"],"groups":[{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENat M. Esparza\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}