Player Quotes

"The biggest lesson Coach taught us had nothing to do with tennis. He is the greatest example I've ever met of ‘Make people feel important.’ Not even Dale Carnegie could match him. And there is no more important lesson."
—Chico Hagey ‘75, All American; NCAA Singles Finals; World Singles #7

"Coach was, and still is, a master at getting the most out of ANY personality with as little drama as possible. Less ego, more results, and success. I firmly believe that Coach had the greatest management skills of all personality types. …he could mold all of these different personalities toward success. I believe that he knew the true meaning of “the sum of each part is greater than the whole. …Coach Gould’s ability to take team after team to the championship is a credit to his management skills of all egos. He was an absolute genius at balancing this."
—Scott Davis ’84, All American; World Singles #11, World Doubles #2

 "Coach Gould was tremendously self-aware and knew his strengths and weaknesses. His people skills were arguably the best I have ever seen. Coach understood his role as an enabler in the best sense of the word. He created an atmosphere of excellence without supercharged pressure."
—Gene Mayer ’76, World Singles #4, World Doubles #5

"…Coach had a different motor than anyone I’ve ever known. In the years since I left school, I’ve often joked that coach would have been in incredible CEO as his ability to lead AND sincerely connect was unlike anyone I’ve ever met!"
—Scotty (Hugh) Scott ‘01, Captain

"I have spent seven years of my career at Amazon learning from Jeff Bezos and his team.  Coach’s style reminds me so much of Jeff Bezos.
1) Coach recruits the best.
2) He sets big/lofty goals for the team.
3) He provides a platform for them to be successful.
4) He hires great assistant coaches (Whit) who complement his skill.
5) He leads through example."
—Robert Franklin ’96

"Coach …never put pressure on us to win, only to play our best…Coach tried to have us focus on the process, work on our weaknesses …He forced me to work on my weaknesses and made me accountable for the things that were in my control, like preparation, punctuality and attitude. That is a winning formula.  I think all great team cultures are process-focused."
—Martin Blackman ’91, World Singles #158; Director-US Player Development

"What struck me the most about Stanford tennis was the level of innovation in marketing the college game. Dick was way ahead of everyone…he was building the modern game of college tennis.  It was visionary, and it was audacious beyond imagination…. I worked for Steve Jobs twice, but Dick Gould is the other person in my life who has walked the talk. Amazing that a kid from Yakima, WA would end up at Stanford during a tennis revolution and a technology revolution. Unreal."
—Scott Love ’79