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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Craig Tiley, who coached the University of Illinois to the 2003 NCAA championship, eight consecutive Big Ten titles and a national record 64-match winning streak, resigned Wednesday to help revive Australia's national tennis program.
Tiley, a South Africa native who has coached the Illini since 1992, will become director of player development for Tennis Australia on July 4, the organization announced. "I am looking forward to taking on a significant leadership role in international tennis," Tiley said in a statement issued by the university. "I am confident the Illinois tennis program will not miss a beat, and I will do everything in my power to make sure it continues to be the leading model for success in collegiate tennis." Tiley, 43, was attending a conference in the Caribbean on Wednesday and was not immediately available for further comment, said UI sports information director Kent Brown. Calls to his cell phone were met with a recording saying it was out of service. "Craig told me yesterday that he was offered the job a month ago and declined it," Brown said. "They re-approached him and as he looked at it, it was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. It all moved very fast, within the past 48 hours." Tiley has placed the Illinois program among "the elite in the nation," athletic director Ron Guenther said. "Thanks in large part to Craig, the Illinois tennis program operates from a position of strength." Former Illini assistant and current Michigan head coach Bruce Berque said Tiley "raised the bar" for tennis expectations within the Big Ten. "When he's moving on, it's really the end of an era," Berque said. Tiley's first Illinois squad went 4-23 in 1992-93. Since then, he has amassed a record of 274-76, including a 32-0 record in the national championship season. The Illini ran off 64 consecutive dual-match victories between May 19, 2002, and May 24, 2004, before losing to UCLA in the 2004 NCAA semifinals. They were 25-4 this season, including 10-0 in Big Ten play, but lost to Florida State in the third round of the NCAA tournament. "He's the best in the business," said player Chris Martin, who finished his eligibility this spring. "He's a great organizer and motivator of people and when you have those skills you can do anything you want." Tiley kept his discussions with Tennis Australia from his players until telling them Tuesday, Martin said. Tiley leaves a team that featured six freshmen this season, including Big Ten freshman of the year Kevin Anderson, who reached the round of 16 in NCAA singles play last month. Assistant coach Brad Dancer was in California Wednesday and did not immediately respond to a cell-phone message. Tiley competed professionally from 1983-86 and was captain of the South African Davis Cup team from 1998-2001. He has consulted with tennis federations in several other nations and has produced instructional videos while coaching at Illinois. "His knowledge of other nations' player development systems will bring a fresh perspective to the table as we tackle the challenges of successfully identifying and nurturing" Australian players, said Geoff Pollard, Tennis Australia's president. Australia's tennis history includes such legends as Ken Rosewall, Rod Laver, John Newcombe and Evonne Goolagong Cawley, but Lleyton Hewitt and Alicia Molik are currently the only Australians ranked among the top 50 men and women players in the world. "My aim is to add another chapter to that history, and create new levels of expectation, so that Tennis Australia is recognized worldwide as having put in place the leading model for tennis development," Tiley said in a statement released by Tennis Australia. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
