Coach Hilt-Costello Announces Retirement From LBSU Athletics
1/11/2025 10:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Hilt-Costello will leave the Beach as the winningest coach in Long Beach State Women’s Tennis program history
LONG BEACH, Calif. – After nearly 30 years with the Long Beach State Women's Tennis program, Head Coach Jenny Hilt-Costello announced her retirement effective following the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.
Reflecting on Hilt-Costello's tenure, Executive Director of Athletics Bobby Smitheran noted, "Jenny has dedicated her professional life to the LBSU women's tennis program, and she leaves behind a legacy of championship success on and off the court while utilizing her established core values of ethics, respect, and responsibility to mentor her student-athletes for life-long achievement."
Hilt-Costello will leave the Beach as the winningest coach in Long Beach State Women's Tennis program history as she enters her final year with 413 career victories and 22 Big West Titles. She is listed among the Top 50 Division I Head Coaches for most active and most career wins in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). Her winning percentage of .678 is a Long Beach State record as are her 22 single season wins. Under her tutelage, Beach Tennis has accumulated more overall victories and more conference wins than any other program in The Big West.
During her record-setting tenure, the Beach boasts a 212-54 conference record for an impressive .797 winning percentage. Long Beach State's conference final appearances (16, including 15 consecutive seasons from 2001-15), conference tournament championships (13), NCAA Tournament berths (13), and NCAA Tournament victories (3) were all program firsts under Hilt-Costello. This run included a 28-league match winning streak over the 2014-16 seasons.
A league-record nine-time Big West Coach of the Year (2001, 2004-06, 2008-09, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2019), Hilt-Costello was also named West Region Coach of the Year in 2004 and was a finalist for the Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year award.
Hilt-Costello prides herself on developing talent as her squads have featured nine Big West Players of the Year, half a dozen Freshman of the Year winners, 13 nationally ranked players, and 57 Big West First Team singles and doubles selections. She has coached five singles and one doubles invitees to the NCAA Individual Championships, while one of her former student-athletes, Stephanie Bengson, made a name for herself playing in two Australian Opens post-graduation from Long Beach State.
In the classroom, Hilt-Costello's student-athletes have excelled as the Beach has garnered 21 ITA National All-Academic Awards which are presented to programs with a 3.2 or higher team grade point average. During her 28-year LBSU head coaching career, Hilt-Costello has graduated all, but one, of her student-athletes as Beach Tennis has boasted an APR of 1.000 for more than 10-consecutive years.
"I am very proud of everything Beach Tennis has accomplished, both on and off the court," said Hilt-Costello. "I am eternally grateful for our incredible Beach Tennis boosters who personally have enabled our program to successfully compete on a national level for decades. At the same time, their support has provided our student-athletes with great experiences around the country. I have enjoyed my time at Long Beach State and I love this community. HERE WE GO BEACH!"
In addition to creating a winning and academically solid program, Hilt-Costello has also done an excellent job fundraising for the program with 15-25% of annual in-state scholarships and 100% of the international scholarship costs. Hilt-Costello has personally fundraised more than half a million dollars to field a competitive and talented team, all while providing added academic and health support in addition to road trip expenses nationally.
Hilt-Costello has spent her time at Long Beach State developing more than just tennis players. She has taught her student-athletes respect, responsibility, and a work ethic all while pushing them to graduate with degrees and compete for league championships.
"Jenny has been a great representative of LBSU Athletics in the Long Beach and tennis communities," said Smitheran. "On behalf of the Athletics Department and Long Beach State University, we are grateful for her service and many contributions and congratulate her on this well-deserved retirement. We look forward to a strong finish to the 2024-25 season in her honor. We wish her and husband John nothing but the best in this next phase of their lives."
Reflecting on Hilt-Costello's tenure, Executive Director of Athletics Bobby Smitheran noted, "Jenny has dedicated her professional life to the LBSU women's tennis program, and she leaves behind a legacy of championship success on and off the court while utilizing her established core values of ethics, respect, and responsibility to mentor her student-athletes for life-long achievement."
Hilt-Costello will leave the Beach as the winningest coach in Long Beach State Women's Tennis program history as she enters her final year with 413 career victories and 22 Big West Titles. She is listed among the Top 50 Division I Head Coaches for most active and most career wins in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). Her winning percentage of .678 is a Long Beach State record as are her 22 single season wins. Under her tutelage, Beach Tennis has accumulated more overall victories and more conference wins than any other program in The Big West.
During her record-setting tenure, the Beach boasts a 212-54 conference record for an impressive .797 winning percentage. Long Beach State's conference final appearances (16, including 15 consecutive seasons from 2001-15), conference tournament championships (13), NCAA Tournament berths (13), and NCAA Tournament victories (3) were all program firsts under Hilt-Costello. This run included a 28-league match winning streak over the 2014-16 seasons.
A league-record nine-time Big West Coach of the Year (2001, 2004-06, 2008-09, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2019), Hilt-Costello was also named West Region Coach of the Year in 2004 and was a finalist for the Wilson/ITA National Coach of the Year award.
Hilt-Costello prides herself on developing talent as her squads have featured nine Big West Players of the Year, half a dozen Freshman of the Year winners, 13 nationally ranked players, and 57 Big West First Team singles and doubles selections. She has coached five singles and one doubles invitees to the NCAA Individual Championships, while one of her former student-athletes, Stephanie Bengson, made a name for herself playing in two Australian Opens post-graduation from Long Beach State.
In the classroom, Hilt-Costello's student-athletes have excelled as the Beach has garnered 21 ITA National All-Academic Awards which are presented to programs with a 3.2 or higher team grade point average. During her 28-year LBSU head coaching career, Hilt-Costello has graduated all, but one, of her student-athletes as Beach Tennis has boasted an APR of 1.000 for more than 10-consecutive years.
"I am very proud of everything Beach Tennis has accomplished, both on and off the court," said Hilt-Costello. "I am eternally grateful for our incredible Beach Tennis boosters who personally have enabled our program to successfully compete on a national level for decades. At the same time, their support has provided our student-athletes with great experiences around the country. I have enjoyed my time at Long Beach State and I love this community. HERE WE GO BEACH!"
In addition to creating a winning and academically solid program, Hilt-Costello has also done an excellent job fundraising for the program with 15-25% of annual in-state scholarships and 100% of the international scholarship costs. Hilt-Costello has personally fundraised more than half a million dollars to field a competitive and talented team, all while providing added academic and health support in addition to road trip expenses nationally.
Hilt-Costello has spent her time at Long Beach State developing more than just tennis players. She has taught her student-athletes respect, responsibility, and a work ethic all while pushing them to graduate with degrees and compete for league championships.
"Jenny has been a great representative of LBSU Athletics in the Long Beach and tennis communities," said Smitheran. "On behalf of the Athletics Department and Long Beach State University, we are grateful for her service and many contributions and congratulate her on this well-deserved retirement. We look forward to a strong finish to the 2024-25 season in her honor. We wish her and husband John nothing but the best in this next phase of their lives."
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