Brad Dancer enters his 22nd season on staff and 21st as head coach of the Illinois men’s tennis program heading into the 2025-26 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.

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 18 of Dancer's 20 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 28 All-Americans, 44 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 82 student-athletes have been named to the Academic All-Big Ten Team, 34 named ITA Scholar-Athletes, two tabbed Elite 90 winners, and two 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 21st season with 389 victories, while also ranking second behind Illini legend Craig Tiley in Big Ten victories and career winning percentage.

Most recently, Dancer led the 2025 Fighting Illini squad to a 15-12 overall record and a 7-6 mark in Big Ten play. Junior Kenta 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 No. 1 Virginia and dismantling No. 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 No. 5 Duke and No. 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 No. 9 TCU, No. 10 Florida, and No. 14 Michigan. In 2023, the Illini conquered two ranked teams -- No. 13 Georgia and No. 9 Wake Forest. During the 2024 season, the Illini defeated No. 8 Duke, No. 14 Baylor, and top-25 North Carolina twice, once when the Tar Heels were ranked No. 16 and again when they were ranked No. 17. Illinois defeated No. 12 Michigan in a nonconference clash during the 2025 campaign.

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).

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.