CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – Evan Clark, head coach of the University of Illinois women’s tennis team, announced his retirement after 11 seasons leading the program. Clark will remain with the team until his successor is in place to ensure a seamless transition.
During his tenure, Clark became the winningest coach in Illinois women’s tennis history with 160 overall wins and 81 Big Ten victories. The Fighting Illini participated in five NCAA Tournaments under his leadership, including three consecutive appearances from 2023 to 2025, advancing to the Second Round twice.
Clark produced three All-Americans: Asuka Kawai in singles (2019), Megan Heuser in doubles (2023), and Kate Duong in doubles (2023), breaking a decade-long gap for Illini All-Americans. The program also achieved 13 All-Big Ten honors, 56 Academic All-Big Ten accolades, and 12 CSC/CoSIDA Academic All-District recognitions. Illinois maintained a 100% graduation rate and a perfect Academic Progress Rate during Clark’s tenure, with only one player transferring out over four years.
Clark played a key role in elevating the program’s national profile, bringing the top collegiate competition to Champaign-Urbana, including co-hosting the 2025 and 2026 ITA Division I Women’s National Team Indoor Championships with Northwestern. The program also hosted the 2022 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships and the 2020 ITA Women’s National Team Indoor Championships.
Illinois achieved its highest ITA rankings in singles, doubles, and team polls under Clark’s leadership. The team reached a program-best No. 5 ranking in 2018, with Asuka Kawai achieving a No. 20 singles ranking in 2019. Kate Duong and Megan Heuser reached No. 7 in the doubles rankings in 2023, the highest in program history. Clark recruited five top-25 rated classes, including the No. 20 class for the upcoming season.
Prior to Illinois, Clark served as head coach at UNC Wilmington, where he led the Seahawks to the program’s first Colonial Athletic Association championship and earned CAA Coach of the Year. Clark also has coaching experience with Maryland men’s tennis, Penn State women’s tennis, and UMKC women’s and men’s teams.
A former Missouri High School singles champion, Clark played collegiately at UMKC and Arkansas before returning to UMKC to complete a degree in psychology. He resides in Champaign with his wife Katelynn and their children, Tripp, Harper, Quinn, and Leighton.
