Bryan Shelton went 211-83 for the Gators, with three SEC championships, one national title and two individual champions, including son Ben.
Family First: Shelton Steps Down as UF Coach
Friday, June 2, 2023 | Men's Tennis, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Compared to everyone else in the coaching profession (pick a sport, any sport), Bryan Shelton has been fortunate in that the time he has dedicated to his tennis players at the University of Florida did not come at the utter sacrifice of his family. Shelton's daughter Emma, after two seasons at South Carolina, transferred to UF to play for the women's team two summers ago and shared the same headquarters as her younger brother, Ben, who had just wrapped his freshman season playing for his father.
An historic freshman season, at that.
In 2021, Shelton (the coach) guided UF to the first NCAA championship in program history, with Shelton (the son) providing the match-clinching point in the tournament final against Baylor. Pretty good stuff, eh? The Shelton Family
(Clockwise: Ben, Lisa, Bryan, Emma)
A year later, Shelton (the coach) watched Shelton (the son) become the fourth UF player in program history to win the NCAA singles draw, basically checking every Bryan Shelton box imaginable, with 19-year-old Ben turning pro a few weeks later and the family on hand a few months later to watch him compete in the 2022 U.S. Open in New York.
It was in late-December, though, that Ben headed off to prepare for the Australian Open in what was his first foray — ever — out of the country. His father had professional obligations of his own. He stayed behind to prepare for UF's 2023 season-opening match against Texas.
Ben, meanwhile, announced himself to the tennis world with a stunning run to a Grand Slam tournament quarterfinal.
"That was tough. The huge moments in their lives you want to be a part of those," Shelton said of his children. "But I can't really complain too much."
Nor will he have to miss any more of those moments, either. Shelton, 57, is stepping down, effectively immediately, after 11 seasons guiding the Gators. The news should come as no surprise. He's doing so to spend more time with his family, but also to focus on coaching Ben, who in less than a year has rocketed from No. 547 to No. 36 in the ATP world rankings, and at 20 is considered a rising superstar in the sport.
Not will only will Bryan Shelton no longer miss his son's matches, he'll be back courtside lending a hand.
"I'm not done working," he said with a smile.
[Bryan Shelton's 'Farewell Letter' to Gator Nation and photo gallery here]
One of the most popular and respected coaches on campus, Shelton will be missed by his UF peers, but Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin will move quickly to fill a vacancy that Shelton helped turn — with three SEC regular-season and two tournament titles, a NCAA championship, two individual champions, 28 ITA All Americans, 31 All-SEC honorees and a combined 3.55 GPA this academic year — into one of the most attractive positions in the country.
"Bryan also represented the Gators in an incredible, first-class manner and really epitomizes a 'Championship Experience With Integrity' " Stricklin said, citing the University Athletic Association mission statement. "He'll always hold a special place among the Gators and the Shelton family will always hold a special place in the Gator community."
For sure, this was a Shelton family decision. One that played right into everything the patriarch holds dear.
"I've had the amazing opportunity here to be able to combine family and work and do what I love with the people I love; from my wife's support, her wisdom and backing, to both our kids playing here," Shelton said. "To have that, as well as the success we've had along the way — all with the tremendous support of our administration and these other great Gators coaches — and now to have a chance to continue to work with my son at the ATP level, it's hard to count all my blessings. They keep multiplying. I feel like I'm the most blessed person on earth and it makes it easier to look to this exciting next chapter."
Son Ben embraces father Bryan after winning the 2022 NCAA singles crown.
Shelton credited his wife of 23 years, Lisa, with allowing him to maintain the delicate balance of work and home. The family moved here in 2013, after then AD Jeremy Foley took a chance on Shelton, the women's coach at his alma mater of Georgia Tech who in 2007 guided the Yellow Jackets to their first NCAA championship in any sport in school history.
A one-time All American and touring pro, Shelton brought an even temperament and special touch to a program that basically had been spinning its wheels, with a pockets of success here and there, but nothing sustained.
He inherited a program that had gone seven years without advancing past the round of 16 of the NCAA Tournament or winning the SEC. Shelton had work to do — on the court and off — and took some hard knocks early, starting with a first-round NCAA exit against Denver; at home, no less.
Those first few years of resetting the culture were a grind.
"There is going to be some turbulent water out there and navigating through that is what this is all about," Shelton said in looking back on his Florida rebuild. "But along the way, building those relationships and putting trust in others and others putting trust in you, that's how you get through the tough times. And getting through those tough times together makes you enjoy the good times even more."
In Shelton's fourth season, the Gators reached the NCAA quarterfinals for the second time on his watch, narrowly falling to Texas A&M 4-3. The next year, it was the national semifinals and a 4-2 loss to Texas. After the COVID pause in '20, Florida returned with a loaded roster and won it all in '21, with senior Sam Riffice capturing the singles crown for a richly satisfying sweep. In '22, the Gators lost in the NCAA semis to eventual champion Virginia in '22, but with Ben Shelton salvaging the week with the individual championship.
"I just remember specifically talking to Jeremy about the programs here and how he spoke about the potential for men's tennis," said Shelton, the only coach in NCAA history to win team titles in both men's and women's tennis. "It's just a special, special place and a special, special university with so many resources to do the things that we want to do."
Bryan Shelton and the Gators hoisted the 2021 NCAA team championship trophy, fittingly enough, in Orlando.
Shelton did a lot of them. During a '23 rebuild that featured five underclassmen, Shelton became the third coach in program history to reach the 200-match victory milestone and finished his UF tenure with a record of 211-83. His .718 winning percentage over his 11 seasons not only is the best in school history, but includes a 95-29 record — and .766 winning percentage — in SEC play, as well as a run of 24 consecutive league wins bridging the '21 and '22 seasons.
By leading the Gators to their greatest heights, Shelton sent a beacon to the country of what Florida men's tennis could be. His UF legacy, however, will be so much more.
"My parents always instilled in me to just treat people the right way, and if you do that consistently, good things will happen. I think that I've been fortunate to understand that lesson," Shelton said. "By helping others, you're helping yourself. That's why I can honestly say I've gotten more out of this place than, than I've given. Really."