University of Denver Athletics

Kim Gidley enters her first season as Denver assistant coach in 2024-25. As part of her role at DU, she will help lead the team's recruiting and player development efforts.

Awards and Honors

• Two-Time USPTA National College Coach of the Year (2016, 2020)
• Five-Time USPTA Intermountain College Coach of the Year (2012, 2020)
• Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year (Mountain Region)
• 2018-19 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year
• National USTA/ITA Community Outreach Award
• USTA Clyde Rogers Award (Intermountain Section)

2024-25

• Helped lead Denver to its 11th-consecutive Summit League tournament title and NCAA tournament appearance
• Finished 12-10 on the season including a perfect 6-0 in Summit League duals and 7-1 in home matches (only loss a narrow 3-4 result to BYU)
• Led Andrea Burguete Beltran and Marley Lambert to the doubles final at the ITA Mountain Regional Championships
• Helped coach junior transfer Lambert to Summit League Newcomer of the Year honors

Prior to Denver (Coaching Experience)

Head Coach, Air Force Academy (1998-2023)

• Led Falcons to Mountain West Conference west division co-championship in 2018-19 (first-ever MWC title by an Air Force women's program)
• Achieved first-ever national ranking for a women's team at a service academy (No. 44 in 2020)
• Coached 19 all-conference singles players and 16 all-conference doubles players
• Coached four players to national singles rankings and four to national doubles rankings
• Helped lead Hannah Dake to 2013 National ITA Arthur Ashe Jr. Sportsmanship/Leadership Award
• Coached 17 players to regional or conference sportsmanship awards
• Coached 55 players to academic all-conference awards and 14 to ITA Scholar-Athlete honors
• Finished with 350-292 dual-match record (most wins in program history) across her 25 seasons including 20+ wins in 1999, 2017 and 2019

Additional Collegiate Coaching Experience

• Assistant Coach, University of Idaho (1997-98) - Pursued Ph.D. in sports psychology
• Assistant Coach, West Virginia University

Additional Non-Collegiate Coaching Experience

• Head coach (1993-97) and assistant coach (1990-93) at Abilene High School
  • Coached alma mater to Texas 5A State Championship in 1991
• Coach/tennis professional at clubs and tennis centers in Colorado, Kentucky, Texas and West Virginia
  • Has coached more than 300 USTA sectionally-ranked players and numerous nationally-ranked players (including two players who achieved world rankings and six former All-Americans)
• Clinician at Youth Through Education & Sports (YES) program at NCAA tournament
• USTA Intermountain Boys & Girls 16s national zonal team coach (2001-03)
• USTA Intermountain Girls 18s federation cup team coach (2002-07)
• Served on multiple NCAA Division I and ITA committees

Prior to Denver (Playing Experience)

Student-Athlete, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (1988-89)

• Two-time ICTA All-American (1988, 1989)
• Member of 1989 NCAA Division II National Championship team
• Ranked as high as No. 3 in singles and No. 5 in doubles nationally in 1989
• Earned ITCA postgraduate scholarship; was named ITCA Academic All-American and GTE Academic All-American (second team)
• Was inducted into SIUE Hall of Fame in 2008

Student-Athlete, Abilene Christian University (1987)

• Member of 1987 NCAA Division II national runner-up team
• Ranked as high as No. 5 in singles and No. 6 in doubles nationally

Other Playing History

• Invited to 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials
• Began collegiate career at Southwest Texas State and Midland College

Education

• Master's degree in gifted education (West Virginia)
• Bachelor's degree in education (SIUE '89)