This is a no-brainer—when your program’s best player wants to stay and teach her winning ways to young players, you let her.  Yesterday, Long Beach State announced that Hannah Grady, the most decorated tennis player in Long Beach State history, will remain with the program as an assistant coach for the 2009-10 season.

“I’m thrilled to have Hannah working as our assistant coach this season,” said head coach Jenny Hilt-Costello. “She knows our program inside and out, so we will be able to hit the ground running when team practice resumes in September. It has been a pleasure watching Hannah play for Beach tennis over the last four years, and now I am really looking forward to working with her as a coach.”

Grady was a four-time Big West Player of the Year at Long Beach State, helping the program win Big West titles during every year of her career as well as bringing the team to the postseason four times, extending an active streak of six Big West titles and NCAA appearances. She was a four-time first-team All-Big West selection in both singles and doubles during her career.

With 172 wins in her career, Grady holds the record for most overall wins at Long Beach State, and also is the program’s most successful singles player, recording 93 singles wins and making the NCAA singles draw in 2006 and 2008, one of just two 49ers to earn a spot in the singles championship.

Over her career, Grady lost just one singles match in Big West competition, and her 26 wins in a season are a Long Beach State record, a mark which she posted as a junior and as a senior.

Nationally ranked during most of her career at Long Beach State, Grady was also very accomplished off the court. Graduating with a 3.93 GPA and a degree in political science, Grady was an Academic All-American as a senior, and a two-time Academic All-District selection, as well as a multiple Academic All-Big West and ITA National All-Academic team honoree.

“It’s very exciting to me that I get to stay here at Long Beach State,” Grady said. “Once my eligibility was gone, I thought I would have to leave the team, and now I can still be a part of everything that is Beach tennis. It will be a different experience working as a coach, but I’m looking forward to the challenge and the chance to continue working with my teammates and friends.”

Grady replaces long-time assistant Hally Cohen, who left the program to become Head Pro and Manager of the Beverly Hills Tennis Club.

From LBSU report