Brad Dancer enters his 23rd season on staff and 22nd as head coach of the Illinois men’s tennis program heading into the 2026-27 campaign. 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.

20250215 Brad Dancer vs. Notre Dame — Coach Dancer with 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year Kenta Miyoshi

Under Dancer, the Illini have won three Big Ten Tournament titles (2012, 2015, 2021) and two regular-season conference championships (2015, 2021), while Illinois has advanced to the NCAA tournament in 19 of Dancer's 21 seasons at the helm.

Dancer has been named the ITA Midwest Region Coach of the Year three times (2015, 2021, 2025). At Illinois, many of Dancer’s student-athletes have found individual success on the collegiate circuit, as he has coached 30 All-Americans, 46 All-Big Ten honorees, five Big Ten Players of the Year, and two Big Ten Freshmen of the Year.

While Dancer’s teams have had success on the court, they have also performed in the classroom, as 87 student-athletes have been named to the Academic All-Big Ten Team, 34 named ITA Scholar-Athletes, two tabbed Elite 90 winners, and three tabbed Academic All-Americans.

Dancer was named the ITA Midwest Region Coach of Year in 2021 after the Illini earned a share of the Big Ten regular-season title and secured their third Big Ten Tournament championship during Dancer's tenure. 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 Illinois 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 11 Sweet Sixteen appearances. In 2023, doubles duo Hunter Heck and Karlis Ozolins went to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Doubles Tournament, the farthest any Illini duo had gone since Anderson and Rowe made the championship finals in 2007.

Dancer also garnered his own honors by being selected as the ITA Midwest Region Coach of the Year during the 2014-15 season. In the record books, Dancer ranks as the program's all-time winningest coach, entering his 22nd season with 413 victories, while ranking second behind Illini legend Craig Tiley in career winning percentage.

During the 2026 season, Dancer guided the Illini to a 24-8 record, a 10-3 mark in Big Ten play, and a spot in the NCAA Tournament Super Regionals. The Illini hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021, sweeping Yale and #24 Vanderbilt to advance to Super Regional play. The No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, Illinois registered six ranked wins during the 2026 campaign. Senior Kenta Miyoshi and freshman Gabriel Debru were both named to the All-Big Ten First Team, and both student-athletes earned ITA Singles All-America status. Illinois finished the season ranked No. 14.

Dancer led the 2025 Fighting Illini squad to a 15-12 overall record and a 7-6 mark in Big Ten play. Miyoshi earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors, climbed to a career-high No. 10 ITA singles ranking, and secured ITA Singles All-American status under Dancer's leadership. Dancer was tabbed the ITA Midwest Region Coach of the Year following the 2024-25 season.

Dancer has coached his squads to many victories over ranked and NCAA Championship teams. In his first year as head coach (2006), he led the Fighting Illini to victories over two of the nation’s top teams to open the season, defeating #1 Virginia and dismantling #8 Duke on the road in consecutive duals. With a 19-8 overall record, the 2011-12 squad captured its first Big Ten Tournament title in seven years with a dramatic comeback win over six-time defending champion Ohio State. The 2012-13 season provided two major thrills at home, knocking off both #5 Duke and #7 Kentucky in consecutive weeks. The 2015-16 squad victories over 2016 NCAA champion Virginia, Duke, and South Florida. In 2017-18, the Illini had wins over seven ranked teams, including #9 TCU, #10 Florida, and #14 Michigan. In 2023, the Illini conquered two ranked teams -- #13 Georgia and #9 Wake Forest. During the 2024 season, the Illini defeated #8 Duke, #14 Baylor, and top-25 North Carolina twice, once when the Tar Heels were ranked #16 and again when they were ranked #17. Illinois defeated #12 Michigan in a nonconference clash during the 2025 campaign. In 2026, Illinois secured six ranked wins: #6 TCU, #8 Baylor, #15 Duke, #23 Kentucky, #24 UCLA, and #24 Vanderbilt.

114609 — Dancer with All-Americans Jared Hiltzik
and Farris Gosea

The Illini have had winning records in all but one normal (non-COVID impacted) seasons with Dancer at the helm. With a 22-9 overall record, the 2006-07 team had a memorable season, including Dancer’s 100th career victory. The 2007-08 season was highlighted by the play of seniors Ryan Rowe and Ruben Gonzales, who helped lead the squad to an 8-2 finish in conference play. The 2009-10 squad secured their 13th straight 20-win season with a 20-11 overall mark. 2013-14 was a great season for the Orange and Blue, as they finished second in the conference (10-2) and went 24-9 overall, the most wins since the 2006 season. The Illini also went undefeated at home (13-0) for the first time since 2004. The 2014-15 Illinois squad went 15-1 at home and produced a 27-5 record, the most wins since the 2003 season. Juniors Aron Hiltzik and Aleks Vukic led the 2016-17 team to an 18-12 overall record and an 8-3 mark in Big Ten play. In 2017-18, the squad had an overall record of 24-8, along with a 10-1 tally in conference play and 11-1 at home. In 2020-21, the Illini went 23-3 overall, 15-1 against conference competition, 7-2 at home, and 7-0 away.

Whether as a team or individually, the Orange and Blue have consistently ranked in the top 20 nationally since Dancer took over for Craig Tiley. During Dancer’s first season as head coach, he propelled Illinois to No. 2 in the nation, a spot Illinois held for a large portion of the season. Individually, the Illini garnered its first singles No. 1-ranked preseason player in Ryler DeHeart, who also claimed the top spot during the regular season. In 2008-09, Illinois finished No. 12 in the final Campbell’s/ITA rankings after posting an overall record of 23-9. The 2013-14 squad ranked as high as sixth in the nation, while also qualifying to the National Indoor Championships. As one of the most successful teams in program history, the 2014-15 squad rose as high as No. 2 in the ITA national rankings, the highest they have achieved since 2006. The 2017-18 team achieved a No. 8 ranking in the final ITA national rankings, the highest since 2015.

Dancer started off his coaching career in 1996, when he held an ongoing role as an assistant to Billie Jean King for the U.S. Fed Cup Team. Dancer cites the experience with King as having a profound impact on him, as she led by her incredible example and helped him mold his coaching ideology.

Dancer received his first head coaching position with the Delaware Smash of World Team Tennis. From 1998 to 2004, he had the privilege to coach athletes such as Patrick McEnroe and Serena Williams. In 2003, he guided Smash to the World Team Tennis Championship en route to being named Coach of the Year. The Illini head coach has also traveled to more than 20 different countries, working with elite junior development programs and various touring professionals, such as Martina Navratilova and Mariaan de Swardt.

Dancer’s collegiate coaching career started at his alma mater, Michigan State, where he served as the assistant men’s tennis coach from 1993-98. In 1999, Dancer served in his first head coaching capacity for the women’s tennis team at the University of Arizona.

Before coming to Illinois, Dancer compiled a 38-35 overall record in three seasons as the head coach at Fresno State University. He led his teams to two NCAA tournament appearances, including in 2003, when his squad advanced to the second round, marking the deepest postseason run during his tenure.

As an associate head coach in 2004-05, Dancer helped lead the Orange and Blue to a 25-4 record and a trip to the Sweet 16 before taking over for Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Tiley, who is the only coach to lead the program to a national championship (2003).

114608 — Kevin Anderson and Coach Dancer at the
2007 NCAA Championships

Dancer has had several former Illini move on to successful professional careers, most notably Kevin Anderson. Anderson reached a career-high No. 10 world ranking in October 2015 while advancing to the third round or better at 11 straight Grand Slams in 2016. The former All-American reached his first-career Grand Slam Final at the 2017 US Open, becoming the first Illini to reach a singles final in a Grand Slam event and the first player with college ties to reach a Grand Slam singles final since Northwestern’s Todd Martin at the 1999 US Open.

Dancer also coached Aleks Vukic and Aleks Kovacevic, who are both currently playing on the ATP Tour and have ranked among the top-100 men's singles players in the world.

Dancer earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Michigan State in 1993 and also competed on the men’s tennis team, earning All-Big Ten honors and reaching the NCAA Doubles Championships his senior year.

Dancer and wife Haylie reside in Mahomet with their four boys: Jackson, Hudson, Camden, and Griffin.

Year	Overall Record	B1G Record	NCAA Finish
2006	24-7	9-1 (2nd)	Third Round
2007	23-9	8-2 (T-2nd)	NCAA Final
2008	20-9	8-2 (T-2nd)	Third Round
2009	23-9	8-2 (2nd)	Third Round
2010	20-11	9-1 (2nd)	Second Round
2011	18-11	7-3 (4th)	Third Round
2012	19-8	8-3 (3rd)	Third Round
2013	17-11	8-3 (4th)	Second Round
2014	24-9	10-1 (2nd)	Third Round
2015	27-5	10-1 (1st)	Third Round
2016	20-11	8-3 (T-3rd)	Second Round
2017	18-12	8-3 (3rd)	Third Round
2018	24-8	10-1 (2nd)	Quarterfinals
2019	19-9	10-1 (2nd)	Second Round
2020	5-6	2-0	Season Cut Short Due to COVID-19
2021	23-3	15-1 (T-1st)	Third Round
2022	14-14	5-4 (6th)
2023	19-11	6-3 (4th)	First Round
2024	17-10	6-3 (4th)	Second Round
2025	15-12	7-6 (8th)	First Round
2026	24-8	10-3 (T-3rd)	Third Round

Name	Title	@illinois.edu
Brad Dancer	Head Coach	bdancer
Tim Kopinski	Assistant Coach	tkopins2
Jay Grosset	Assistant Coach	jgrosset

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Event: Men's Tennis versus Harvard Chowderfest on Sep 18, 2026

Upcoming Event: Men's Tennis versus ITA All-American Championships on Sep 19, 2026

Upcoming Event: Men's Tennis versus San Diego Challenger on Sep 20, 2026

Upcoming Event: Men's Tennis versus ITF M15 Columbia on Sep 21, 2026

Upcoming Event: Men's Tennis versus Fighting Irish Mini Duals on Sep 25, 2026

Results

Completed Event: Men's Tennis at #3 Ohio State on May 8, 2026 , Loss , 0, to, 4

Completed Event: Men's Tennis versus #24 Vanderbilt on May 2, 2026 , Win , 4, to, 0

Completed Event: Men's Tennis versus Yale on May 1, 2026 , Win , 4, to, 0

Completed Event: Men's Tennis versus [2] #3 Ohio State on April 24, 2026 , Loss , 3, to, 4

Completed Event: Men's Tennis versus [6] Wisconsin on April 23, 2026 , Win , 4, to, 0

2026-27 Men's Tennis Coaching Staff

Coaching Staff

Promotional Background Photo

Footer