Jimmy Doerr - 1993 

Jimmy Doerr was born on October 2, 1956, in Welland, Canada, in the province of Ontario.  Jimmy was the son of Viola and Harold “Dutchy” Doerr, the latter a long standing tennis professional at the Welland Outdoor Tennis Club. 

Jimmy received his early schooling at Ross Elementary, and then graduated form Welland Centennial High School in 1973.  He entered Jefferson State Junior College in the fall of 1974, becoming its first foreign athlete. 

During his freshman year the tennis team won the Region XVII Championship and finished fifth nationally.  During his sophomore season, the team repeated as Region XVII Champions, then finished second Nationals by a single point.  Jimmy was instrumental in this highest of all national finishes by a Jefferson State tennis team, and was named first team All-American. 

Following his graduation from Jefferson State in 1976. Jimmy attended Florida International University (NCAA II) in Miami, Florida.  He played the number one position, was an honor student, and was named All-American as his team finished second in the nation in 1977.  He was awarded the Bachelor of Science degree in 1978.  During this time Jimmy was married to Karen Crawford of Miami, and they returned to Canada where he was to direct the Whiteoaks Tennis Club in Welland for the next three years. 

Between 1975 and 1980 Jimmy annexed several titles in Canada.  These included the Ontario singles junior championship, as well as both singles and doubles championships (21 and under) of the province.  During this time he was ranked as high as fifteenth in singles competition in Canada. 

Jimmy entered education and coaching in 1984 at Jacksonville University, Florida (NCAA I), where he coached the men’s and women’s teams for three years.  During all three years his teams posted winning records and finished high in the Sun Belt Conference. 

In 1983, Jimmy received his Masters Degree from Jacksonville University, and accepted the tennis coaching position at Iowa State University (NCAA I).  For the next three years, 1984 through 1986, his men’s and women’s tennis teams posted the best records in the history of the University.  By the latter part of this tenure, Jimmy had completed the majority of his academic work toward the doctorate degree. 

On June 5, 1986, at the age of twenty-nine Jimmy Doerr lost his life in an automobile accident.  He was returning home form a tennis tournament with one of his players.   

Jimmy Doerr will always be remembered as a loyal son, a team player, a great competitor, and All-American, an honor student, a great coach, and a friend to all the players he coached.