CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois volleyball head coach Chris Tamas has named Eli Sharping as the newest assistant coach for the Fighting Illini volleyball program. Sharping will be in charge of technical coordinating, opponent scout, and camp and will also aid in day-to-day operations, recruiting and player development.

"I am excited to announce Eli as a member of our family," said Tamas. "We were looking for someone who fit the mold of everyone here at Illinois: hard working, humble, personable and passionate about their job. Throughout the interview process, Eli has proven himself to excel in all of these categories. As an Illinois native, he understands the history, pride and impact of Illini athletics. As a coach, he has worked hard at all levels and helped his teams reach new heights. His experience and expertise will help Illinois compete in the best conference in the country. Eli will be an excellent addition to our team, community, and the University of Illinois."

Sharping comes to Illinois following a successful three-season stint as an assistant coach for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee after joining the Panther staff in spring of 2017.

"I am so humbled and grateful to be able to join the Fighting Illini family," said Sharping. "Growing up a University of Illinois fan, this is truly a special moment for me. I will be forever appreciative for my time in Milwaukee and to all those who have supported me on this journey. Throughout this process and in my conversations with the staff and Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Sara Burton, it is easy to see why U of I is such a special place. Everyone here is committed to excellence both on and off the court and I cannot wait to help continue the tradition of Illini volleyball. I am so thankful to Coach Tamas and the entire athletic department for this unbelievable opportunity."

While at Milwaukee, Sharping helped MKE see major growth in the volleyball program, including seeing an 18-win improvement from 2018 that culminated in a 26-6 overall record in 2019 and a 12-4 mark in conference play, with the Panthers earning a No. 2 seed in the Horizon League Tournament, marking its highest postseason seed since 2014. MKE's 26 wins was also a program-best since moving to the NCAA Division I level.

Primarily responsible for defense and passing, Sharping guided Milwaukee to a 20 percent improvement in digs per set, while opponent attack percentage dropped 24 percent. He helped train 2019 Horizon League Freshman of the Year Ari Miller, who averaged 2.71 kills per set and attacked at a .285 clip as a rookie, as well as libero Jess Grabowski, who broke the freshman dig record in 2018 and then went on to break the program record for digs/set as a sophomore and was named Horizon League Honorable Mention All-Conference.

Prior to Milwaukee, Sharping spent two seasons at the University of Tulsa where he helped the Hurricane amass 34 wins, including a 19-13 record just last year. Sharping arrived at Tulsa in 2015 after one season as the assistant coach with the East Carolina Pirates. In 2014, ECU posted 15 wins in a tough American Athletic Conference.

Before heading to ECU, Sharping served as an assistant coach at the University of Georgia during the 2013 season. Sharping was responsible for opponent scouting using Data Volley and Data Video. In his year with Georgia, he helped guide the Bulldogs to a 22-9 mark, which was the program's best record since 1994. He also led Georgia to an 11-win conference ledger which tallied the Bulldog's best SEC record since the 1995 season as they went on to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2004.

Previous to his stint at Georgia, Sharping served as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin. He helped the Badgers to a 17-win season while assisting the coaching staff with opponent scouting, video exchange and on-campus recruiting.

In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Sharping also brings years of club-level success to Champaign. He spent five seasons as the head coach of the Capital Volleyball Academy in Madison, Wis., where he coached the 16, 17 and 18 age levels. In his second year with CVA, Sharping pioneered his squad to a ninth-place finish at the Junior Volleyball Association National Championships at the 18 Open Level before leading his 2010 team to a fifth-place showing at the 18 Open Level AAU National Championships.

Sharping also brings several years of camp experience to the Illini as he has worked volleyball camps at Wisconsin, Marquette, Nebraska and Georgia.

While a student at Wisconsin, Sharping played for the men's club team from 2007-11 and served as a practice player for the women's volleyball team from 2008-11. He was also a member of the Sports Performance Boys' Volleyball Club from 2005-07. The all-area, all-conference and honorable mention all-state selection at Lake Park High School (Ill.) earned his Bachelor of Science in neurobiology from Wisconsin in 2012.

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