Longtime tennis coach Chip Brooks died last Thursday morning at the age of 67. Since 1977, Brooks was an instrumental coach at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where he started as a coach and eventually became the Director of Tennis.

During his distinguished career, Tennessee native Brooks worked with former WTA World No.1 players Monica Seles, Maria Sharapova and Jelena Jankovic. Brooks also had stints with Grand Slam champions Mary Pierce and Iva Majoli. 

Under Brooks' tutelage, Jankovic won the 2010 BNP Paribas Open title in Indian Wells, the biggest title of her career. Brooks most recently worked with Natalia Vikhlyantseva of Russia. Playing at the WTA 125K event in Angers, Vikhlyantseva dedicated her fourth-round win over Vera Zvonareva to her coach.

"I spent a lot of time with him," Vikhlyantseva said. "The first match in Indian Wells where I won against Vera was with him. I would therefore like to dedicate this victory to him. He brought me a lot of things in tennis. Every time I called on him, he came directly to help me, even if he was on another continent." 

Brooks also had long-standing working relationships as a coach or trainer for various ATP World No.1 players such as Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Boris Becker, Pete Sampras and Marcelo Rios.

A 1976 graduate of Carson Newman College, Brooks was all-conference in the NCAA and NAIA from 1972 to 1974.

Brooks is survived by his wife Patty and four children, Jake, Lindsay, Jared and Lacey.