Hall of Fame
If you ask Brian Berry what brought him to Young Harris College in the mid-1970s, he would say the intimate setting and a chance to play tennis for Coach Bob Nichols—someone who significantly impacted Brian’s entire experience at YHC.
During his first year at the College, Brian began to make a name for himself. He garnered the 1974-1975 NJCAA State Champion title and was named the Individual Champion at #3 Singles and #2 Doubles. But his winning didn’t come without sacrifice. Brian worked hard for himself, his teammates, and his Coach—who expected the players to always get better. In fact, Brian still recalls the first thing Coach Nichols said to him: “You will never make a living playing tennis, but you can get better—as a player and as a person.”
And Coach Nichols was right. Brian’s sophomore year proved more successful than his first. He took home the 1975-1976 NJCAA State Champion title and was named Individual Champion at #2 Single and #1 Doubles. Brian’s talent and hard work landed him a place in the 1976 edition of Who’s Who in American Junior Colleges.
He wasn’t alone in his success, though. The team was also becoming “better.” They defeated the nationally ranked No. 5 junior college team.
After receiving his associate of science degree from YHC, Brian went on to play tennis at Davidson College where he graduated with a bachelor’s of science in mathematics. Brian spent eight years coaching and managing tennis teams for ALTA, a nonprofit organization based in Atlanta. He has served on boards for Cobb County Parks and Recreation and coached a national champion Junior Women’s Softball Team. He currently serves as North America Systems Technical Sales Executive for IBM.
Brian resides in Marietta with Marty, his wife of 33 years. They have two daughters, Sara and Erin.
