BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Former Southwest Minnesota State University head women's tennis coach Hugh Curtler will be inducted into the United State Tennis Association Northern Section Hall of Fame on Friday, May 10, at the Nicollet Island Pavilion in Minneapolis.
 
The USTA Northern Awards and Hall of Fame Banquet begins at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and the program starting at 7:45 p.m.
 
Each year, USTA Northern honors individuals and organizations that have demonstrated outstanding commitment to the growth and development of tennis with various sectional awards. The USTA Northern Hall of Fame started in 1979, is housed at the Fred Wells Tennis and Education Center in St. Paul, Minn., and currently has 106 members.
 
Curtler served as SMSU's head women's tennis coach for 14 seasons (1979-92), building a powerhouse program that produced 172 victories and five NAIA All-Americans. During his tenure, SMSU won the Northern Sun Conference championship nine consecutive seasons (1984-92) and won the NAIA District 13 championship 10 straight seasons (1983-92). His teams had eight Top 20 finishes at the NAIA National Championships including an 11^th place finish in 1990.  
 
Curtler was selected the NAIA District 13 Coach of the year six times and was named NSC Coach of the Year four times. He was also named the Wilson/ITCA NAIA Coach of the Year in 1990.
 
A certified USPTA pro for more than 30 years, Curtler was inducted into the SMSU Athletics Hall of Honor in 1992 and into the NSIC Hall of Fame in 2000.
 
USTA Northern Executive Director Becky Cantellano praised Curtler's accomplishments and tenacity in building a program from the ground up in an area that lacks the traditional tennis resources.
 
"Hugh's accomplishments stand on their own and he deserves all the accolades he receives for them," Cantellano said. "But ultimately, Hugh embodies exactly what we are here to do for tennis. He committed himself to establishing a program and making it thrive, no matter the odds. We talk a lot about growing the game and Hugh is a great example. Hugh grew the game and he did it with class and integrity."
 
Curtler joined the faculty at then-Southwest Minnesota State College in 1968 as a professor of philosophy before taking on the additional role as head women's tennis coach 11 years later. He earned his bachelor's degree at St. John's College in Annapolis, Md., and his master's and doctoral degrees at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.