coaches of the year

The DI · Wednesday, December 7, 2022 13 The coaches who did the mostest

By Sports Staff

Evan Clark (women’s tennis)

Complacency is a dangerous issue that can come back to haunt a sports program of any caliber. In order to craft a winning culture built on achievement, the team requires a leader to set the tone for the team and everyone involved.

Evan Clark has been that leader for Illinois women’s tennis this past year. Coming off a mixed 2021 season where the team finished 9-9 overall, Clark has shown his ability in the recruiting process to bring in talented players who are capable of bringing home silverware.

The 2022 spring season saw Illinois improve to 16-9 overall and 8-3 in the conference. While Clark and the Illini have improved, the exciting part is that they haven’t reached their peak with the squad he has built.

Clark has made Illinois women’s tennis a strong force in the Big Ten this past year, and he is on track to make the program nationally feared with the progress he’s made.

Bret Bielema (football)

While many Illini football fans will look at the previous season from a “What if” lens, the turnaround in culture and on-field successes have been nothing short of impressive.

In his second year at the helm, Bielema has inherited a team and elevated the stars within it to a whole new level. With a nationally-ranked defense, the nation-leading rusher in the backfield and a school record 19 All-Big Ten honorees, Bielema has created a respected program in Champaign.

Illinois ended the regular season 8-4, highlighted by wins over Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota en route to a six-game win streak. Given more time to develop a program and recruit players, the team is destined to evolve and continue seeing success. Bielema is a large reason for this cultural turnaround.

Brad Underwood (men’s basketball)

Brad Underwood is entering his sixth season at the helm of Illinois men’s basketball. After one of the most successful seasons in Illinois’ history in 2021, Underwood managed to reach similar heights just one year later, and without his most dangerous weapon.

Off the back of a 2021 Big Ten tournament win, All-American guard Ayo Dosunmu left Illinois for the NBA, which could have been detrimental if not for Underwood’s expert recruiting. Bringing in transfers from all over, Underwood brought his team to another Big Ten Championship.

After this success, Underwood found talent in the transfer portal after returning just five guys from the 2021–22 lineup. Just eight games into the new season, the Illini found themselves in the rankings with a top 10 win under their belts already. Underwood has put a stamp on this program and has set it up to be just as good in the next season.