CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois women's tennis head coach Evan Clark has announced that former student-athlete Alexis Casati Raines will return to the Orange and Blue as the program's associate head coach. Since her graduation from Illinois in 2017, the Deerfield, Ill., native made coaching stops at Western Michigan (2017-19), SMU (2019-20), Georgia Tech (2020-24), and SMU (2024-25) most recently.
"We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Lex back to the program," began Clark. "Bringing her back to the Illini Family marks a significant and meaningful moment for our program. Few experiences in my career have been as gratifying as the opportunity to welcome her home."
"The University of Illinois has a special place in my heart," Raines said. "I am grateful for the opportunity to come back to Champaign-Urbana and work alongside Coach Clark. I had a tremendous experience as a student-athlete here, and I can't wait to help facilitate that same experience for our current and future players. Go Illini!"
Raines arrived in Champaign-Urbana as a freshman for the 2013-14 campaign. When Raines was a sophomore, Clark arrived as an assistant coach before he served as interim head coach for her junior season. She was a senior on Clark's first squad as the full-time head coach of Illinois women's tennis. Raines and Clark are now reuniting eight seasons later.
"As with so much in our profession, timing is everything — and we are incredibly fortunate that the circumstances aligned to bring her back at this time," Clark continued. "Having the chance to reunite with one of our own, someone who has worn the Orange and Blue and understands the culture, is invaluable as we continue to build for the future. Lex is one of the most promising young coaches in the country. She brings an impressive depth of experience, both as a player and a coach, and we are confident in the immediate and lasting impact she will have on our student-athletes. Her passion for teaching, mentorship, and development aligns perfectly with the vision of our program."
In her young coaching career, Raines has guided six All-Americans, nine all-conference selections, and two ITA Regional Rookie of the Year winners. She's also helped develop leaders with two student-athletes earning ITA Regional Ann Lebedeff Leadership Awards and one going on to win the national accolade.
Raines has coached two different doubles teams to a No. 1 ITA ranking and four tandems into the top 20. She was on staff for the first time in Georgia Tech program history that two doubles pairs earn All-American honors in the same season. At the 2022 ITA Southeast Regional, Raines saw Georgia Tech claim the doubles title and make a run to the singles finals. Additional student-athlete accolades achieved with Raines' help include a 2022 NCAA doubles quarterfinalist, 2022 fall national semifinalist, and 2023 NCAA singles quarterfinalist.
Most recently in 2024-25, her season as the SMU associate head coach was the first for the Mustangs as members of the ACC, where the Mustangs went 12-14 in its initial season in the Power 4. SMU finished 50th in the final ITA rankings and were ranked as high as 46th. Across the season, Raines helped bring in the No. 18-ranked recruiting class while the current squad swept the ACC weekly honors (freshman, player, and doubles) following a 4-3 loss to No. 1 Virginia and win over Virginia Tech.
Ahead of her second stint with the Mustangs, Raines spent four years as the associate head coach at Georgia Tech. While with the Yellow Jackets, she assisted in all team operations, the program's recruiting efforts, and student-athlete development. In 2024, Raines led the Yellow Jackets to the No. 7 recruiting class in the country. Her final season saw Georgia Tech make its 24th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, reaching the second round. Tech finished in the top 25 of the final ITA rankings following three of the four seasons Raines was on staff, including No. 10 in 2021. The 2021 campaign also saw Georgia Tech qualify for ITA National Team Indoors, reach the finals of the ACC Tournament, and advance to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16.
Prior to her stretch with the Yellow Jackets, Raines was a volunteer assistant coach for the Mustangs during the 2019-20 season. In that season, she directed the fall tournaments for the program and built an alumni database for newsletters and future alumni weekend planning. On the court, she helped the Mustangs to a 9-5 record (2-1 American) before the season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before heading at SMU, Raines served as the assistant coach at Western Michigan for two seasons. During her stint with the Broncos, Raines coached four student-athletes to all-MAC honors, and helped guide WMU to an impressive 2018-19 season, finishing third in the MAC after recording only two conference wins in 2017-18. WMU turned in a 12-11 overall record in 2018, its best mark since 2016, and went 11-3 at home.
Raines helped bring together WMU's 2018 fall recruiting class, the best class since 2014 and the biggest in program history. During her first season with WMU, the Broncos went 11-13 overall, including a 9-3 home record, and had two players earn all-MAC second team honors.
A native of Deerfield, Ill., Raines was a four-year letterwinner at the University of Illinois, finishing with a career singles mark of 67-47, playing mainly at No. 1 and No. 2. She earned All-Big Ten honors her sophomore season and earned a career-high singles ranking of No. 82. She was both a three-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient and three-time ITA Scholar-Athlete. Raines was named team captain twice and was a three-time MVP. She finished her freshman season with a 30-10 overall singles mark, tying the Illinois freshman record for singles wins in a season.
"In addition to her experience, Lex's deep-rooted connection to the University of Illinois gives her a unique perspective and an authentic voice in recruiting and in our day-to-day culture," added Clark. "That kind of authenticity is hard to find — and it's going to make a real impact. Her enthusiasm for returning is evident — this program means a great deal to her, and that commitment resonates with everyone around her. She wants to be here, and this place holds a special place in her heart. We can't wait for her to join us. Welcome home, Lex."
Raines graduated from Illinois in May of 2017 with a degree in journalism. She earned a master's degree in sports management from Western Michigan in 2019.
