ASHLAND — Carl Leedy’s love of tennis began as a young child in the 1950’s on Ashland College and Ashland Parks courts.
The 1957 Ashland High School graduate said he was thrilled to have the opportunity to play on the first Arrows tennis team. He went on to play collegiate tennis at Ashland College.
On Sunday, Leedy’s career came full circle when he was inducted into the Ohio Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame at the Chagrin Valley Athletic Club in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
Carl Leedy coaching record
- Ashland High School 655-271
- AHS boys 365-178
- AHS girls 290-93
- Ashland U. women 176-155
- Total record 831-436
“I want to credit God with giving me opportunities and guidance through life,” Leedy said. “I want to thank the assistant coaches, athletic directors, summer instructors and my wife Sandy, who all have contributed to Ashland’s tennis success.
“I’ve always been an advocate of tennis.”
Leedy’s teaching career began in Waterford Kettering High School in Michigan, where he started a boys team at what was then a new school.
He moved back to Ashland in 1966 as a Speech Language Pathologist and was hired as assistant tennis coach. Leedy had that position for four years.
He then became the head for the next 30 years, and eventually coached the Ashland University women’s team for 14 years. His Eagles qualified for three NCAA regional championships.
Leedy’s Ashland High School boys and girls teams combined for 19 conference titles and 12 invitational crowns. His squads registered 41 winning seasons in 48 years of coaching, with 10 state qualifiers.
Perhaps Leedy’s highest success was when two girls won the state doubles championship in 1977.
“I thought ‘This may never happen again, I better enjoy it,’ ” Leedy said.
In total, he coached high school and college tennis for 50 years with an 831–436 record.
Tennis is obviously a passion for Leedy. He developed a month-long summer camp for kids and adults in the early 1970’s that would regularly host more than 200 participants in Ashland.
That program continues today with Ashland High School tennis coach Taylor Long taking over when Leedy retired in 2023.
“Taylor was an answer to my prayer,” Leedy said. “I was looking for over 10 years for someone who would run the summer tennis camps and coach AHS Tennis.
“Under his leadership there is increased interest in tennis in the schools.”
Leedy was previously inducted in the Mansfield Area Tennis Hall of Fame and the Ashland County Sports Hall Of Fame.
“I loved interacting with people, helping them learn the game and seeing them have success,” Leedy said.