Allison Jolly to be Inducted in Florida Sports Hall of Fame

Allison Jolly

University of South Florida head sailing coach Allison Jolly has been elected to the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.

Jolly, who is in her 13th season as head coach at USF, won a gold medal with Lynne Jewell in the 1988 Olympic Games in Korea. It was the first time that women’s sailing competed in the Olympics.

She also won two Intercollegiate Championships and two U.S. Women’s Sailing Championships. Additionally, Jolly was selected as the youngest ever to win the U.S. Yachtswoman of the Year award in 1976, and again in 1988.

“I am so incredibly honored to be inducted into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame,” added Jolly. “I’d like to thank the committee for selecting me, for including me with such a great class and for adding me to such an impressive list of sporting legends in the Hall of Fame. This truly is an honor I will cherish for the rest of my life.”

During her coaching career, Jolly has guided the Bulls to six ICSA Women’s Singlehanded National appearances (2005,2008,2010,2011,2012,2015) and 12 consecutive ICSA Women’s Dinghy National appearances (2005-2016).

Jolly will be joined in the 2016 Hall of Fame class with Super Bowl XXXVIII winning head football coach Jon Gruden, Tampa Bay Lightning executive and hockey Hall of Famer Phil Esposito, two-time World Series champion baseball player Johnny Damon, and longtime University of Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley, whose teams have won 27 national championships.

The enshrinement dinner will take place on Nov. 15 at the TPepins Hospitality Center in Tampa. More details here.

“This has to be the dream class for the Tampa Bay area and for the state of Florida,” said Florida Sports Hall of Fame President Barry Smith. “Has there ever been a group that has accomplished so much in their athletic endeavors and yet succeeded in so many ways outside of that? It would be hard to imagine.”

Founded in 1961 by the Florida Sportswriters and Florida Sportswriters Associations, the Florida Sports Hall of Fame has inducted 243 members. Eligibility for the Hall is gained by achieving greatness as a Florida native or by making a significant contribution to a sport or related profession while residing in the state.

Source: University of South Florida