TULSA, Okla. – Legendary tennis coach and ORU Athletics Hall of Famer Bernis Duke passed away early Tuesday morning.

Hall of Fame member Bernis Duke served as ORU's Tennis coach for 33 years. His teams won 563 matches for .714 winning percentage.  Coach Duke was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame in 2002 and the ORU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.
 
"The collegiate tennis world has lost a pioneer in international recruiting," ORU Athletic Director Mike Carter said. "ORU Athletics has lost a valued member of our team and a dear friend."
 
During his distinguished career, Coach Duke had winning records for 28 straight seasons including numerous stints in the nation's Top 10 rankings.  His 1969 team finished with a perfect 24-0 record.
He retired in 1999 as the sixth winningest coach in NCAA Division I history.
 
I'm deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Coach Duke," ORU Director of Tennis Mark Milner said. "He was a legend in the college tennis world. Coach was truly an inspiration to me and so many others. He made a positive impact in so many people's lives. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Bernis Duke is the namesake of ORU's Bernis Duke Tennis Center that opened on campus in 2017 and is the home of the ORU men's and women's tennis teams.

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