Brad Dancer

Head coach Brad Dancer enters his 19th season on the staff and 18th as head coach of the Illinois men’s tennis team. Dancer became Illinois’ 19th head men’s tennis coach on June 28, 2005, after serving his first year on the staff as an associate head coach under Illini legend Craig Tiley.

Dancer was named the ITA Midwest Coach of Year last season after the Illini won their third Big Ten Tournament title under the head coach. Illinois has consistently been in the top three of the Big Ten while frequently being ranked nationally under Dancer’s tenure. The Illini have won Big Ten Tournament titles in 2012 and 2015 and a regular season conference championship in 2015 and have advanced to the NCAA tournament in each of Dancer's first 14 seasons. Illinois reached the finals of the 2007 NCAA Championships, finishing as runner-up for the second-highest finish in program history. That year, defending NCAA doubles champions Kevin Anderson and Ryan Rowe finished runner-up., becoming the first doubles team in almost 40 years to make championship finals with the same partner in back-to-back seasons. In all, Dancer has led the Illini to two quarterfinals (2007, 2015) and 10 Sweet Sixteen appearances.

At Illinois, many of Dancer’s student-athletes have found individual success on the collegiate circuit, as he has coached 17 All-Americans, 36 All-Big Ten honorees, three Big Ten Athletes of the Year, two Big Ten Freshmen of the Year, and a Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship honoree (Bruno Abdelnour, 2012-13). On the ITA circuit, the Illini have had four ITA Regional champions, four ITA Regional Senior Players of the Year, three ITA Regional Player to Watch, and three ITA Regional Arthur Ashe Award winners. Also, Kevin Anderson earned the ITA National Player to Watch in 2007, while Dennis Nevolo won the 2009 ITA Regional Rookie of the Year.

Dancer also garnered his own honors by being selected as the ITA Regional Coach of the Year during the 2014-15 season. In the record books, Dancer ranks as the all-time winningest coach, entering his 16th season with 301 victories, while also ranked second behind Illini legend Craig Tiley in Big Ten victories and career winning percentage.