The Ed Yarbrough Community Service Award annually honors a coach with a longtime commitment
to developing a tennis program in his/her community.  Other criteria include passion, service to tennis, voluntarism, and dedication to teaching life lessons through the sport.  The award honors the memory of Coach Yarbrough, the all-time victory leader in Indiana HS tennis, who passed away in June 2010.  Over a period of more than four decades, he developed an outstanding community tennis program in Jasper, Ind.

The inaugural award was presented on Feb. 4, 2011, by Coach Yarbrough’s wife, son, and daughter to veteran New Albany HS Coach Bob Dusch.  The award will be presented each year at the State Tennis Convention.

Ed Yarbrough Community Service Award Nomination Form

Past Recipients

CoachSchoolYear Awarded
Rusty HughesFranklin2024
Tim ClelandDelta2023
Ivan SmithCenter Grove2019
Tim WrightWest Lafayette2018
Bille ReedLaPorte2017
Mike SainePeru2016
Jim CookTH North2015
Rick FairPerry Meridian2014
Gary HayesPortage2013
Jim ClarkHomestead2012
Bob DuschNew Albany2011

About Ed Yarbrough

Ed Yarbrough coached boys’ and girls’ tennis at Jasper High School for over forty years.  Coach Yarbrough transformed the small southern Indiana community into a tennis powerhouse, winning nearly 900 matches and taking six boys’ teams and six girls’ teams to the IHSAA State Finales — winning the boys’ state championship in 1999.

In 2007, Coach Yarbrough was named the National Tennis Coach of the Year.  He earned numerous coaching honors on a district and state level over the years and was inducted into the Indiana Tennis Hall of Fame in 1994.

Coach Yarbrough was a frequent speaker at the Indiana State Tennis Convention.  He was instrumental in upgrading the Indiana Tennis Hall of Fame at the Barbara S. Wynne Tennis Center in Indianapolis.  He was past president of the Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association and played a major role in the expansion of the coaching association and the state convention.

Coach Yarbrough retired from teaching English at Jasper High School in 2005 but continued to coach the Jasper girls’ team.  Midway through the 2010 season, he was diagnosed with pre-leukemia and faced a bone marrow transplant.  Susceptible to internal bleeding, he developed bleeding around the brain in recent weeks and passed away on Saturday, June 19, 2010.

His son, Scott, who played for his father and was the 1988 state runner-up in singles, succeeds his father as Jasper tennis coach.  Ed is also survived by his wife, Judy, and a daughter, Keri.

Thanks from Yarbrough Family

“I wanted to drop a quick note to say thank you to all the coaches, tennis professionals, and colleagues for their kind words and donations in my father’s name. It would be an understatement to say how overwhelmed we were with some responses from many people who dad had touched in some way. I always knew my father had many friends and acquaintances, but I never knew how many people he affected.

A special thanks to Tim Cleland, Ivan Smith, Jim Clark, Bill Reed, Mike Bostic, Bob Dusch, and Mike O’Connell for being able to make a personal appearance. You will never quite understand the respect and admiration my father had for you as coaches and gentlemen. My father coached tennis for 40 years, and the last goal he set for Jasper Tennis was to have indoor tennis. I honestly believe we will see that dream come true in the coming years.

I have also had a few coaches email me recently still wanting to make a donation toward his dream. If you are still wanting to make a donation please make it out to “The Jasper Tennis Patrons Org.” and you can send it to Scott Yarbrough, 1164 North Sapphire Dr., Jasper, IN 47546. Thanks again to all of you.”

— Scott, Keri, and Judy Yarbrough