‘One of the beloved originals’ at IMG Academy, Chip Brooks dies at age 67
One of the early builders of what has become a prized international sports academy has died.
Chip Brooks, who was an original coach for famed U.S. tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, passed away at the age of 67 last Thursday. A cause of death was not known.
IMG Academy’s tennis account on Instagram honored Brooks in a post last week.
“A legend lost today and we will remember his impact forever,” IMG Academy’s tennis’ post said Dec. 9. “Thank you for the thousands of lives you changed Chip Brooks, never forgotten.”
Brooks worked with several former world No. 1 players on both the men’s and women’s tennis circuits, including Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Boris Becker, Jelena Jankovic, Maria Sharapova and Monica Seles.
Brooks, whose full name is Jack Alexander “Chip” Brooks Jr., was born Sept. 15, 1954 in Morristown, Tennessee. He earned his college degree at Carson Newman in Jefferson City, Tennessee, in 1976 before relocating to Florida to work with Bollettieri as part of a six-person team at Longboat Key’s Colony Beach Hotel, ATPTour.com reported.
From there, the next three years were spent getting the academy together in West Bradenton, where it ultimately became what is today IMG Academy on what used to be tomato field, the site reported.
Brooks recently was working with Russia’s Natalia Vikhlyantseva, who dedicated to him a fourth-round victory over Vera Zvonareva at the $125K WTA event in Angers, France, WTAtennis.com reported.
Germany’s Sabine Lisicki, who previously worked on her game with Brooks, also took to social media to honor him.
The United States Professional Tennis Association gave Brooks the highest recognition as master professional, and he was a two-time USPTA Florida Pro of the Year in 1998 and 1999 as well as Kentucky’s Pro of the Year in 1988 — during four years as the Lexington Tennis Club director in Kentucky, ATPTour.com reported.
Other than those four years, Brooks was a staple of Bollettieri’s staff.
“Chip was one of the beloved originals at Nick’s academy and had a hugely positive impact on so many, myself included,” Courier, who trained at the Bradenton academy told ATPTour.com. “He will be dearly missed.”
His Legacy.com obituary said Brooks loved the outdoors, bass fishing and hunting, and was a deacon and Sunday school teacher at the West Bradenton Baptist Church.
He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Patty, children Jake Brooks, Lindsey Hitte, Jared Brooks and Lacey Morvay, grandchildren Lillian, Collins, Kinsley, Gregory, and Caroline, sisters Gayle Brooks Mermilliod, Rhonda Brooks Hawkins and brother Steven Wayne Brooks.
Services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday at the West Bradenton Baptist Church, 1305 43rd Street West, Bradenton.
This story was originally published December 14, 2021 at 2:26 PM.
