THE COACHING STAFF

HEAD COACH BRAD UNDERWOOD ���������������������������������������������������������12-14 ASSISTANT COACH ORLANDO ANTIGUA ������������������������������������������������������15 ASSISTANT COACH RON COLEMAN ��������������������������������������������������������������15 ASSISTANT COACH STEPHEN GENTRY ��������������������������������������������������������16 ASSISTANT TO THE HEAD COACH GEOFF ALEXANDER ��������������������������������16 STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH ADAM FLETCHER ��������������������������17 ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR JOEY BIGGS ��������������������������������������������17 VIDEO COORDINATOR ZACH HAMER ������������������������������������������������������������18 GRADUATE MANAGER KWA JONES ��������������������������������������������������������������18 GRADUATE MANAGER NEEL GANTA ��������������������������������������������������������������18 SENIOR ASSOCIATE AD, SPORT ADMINISTRATION BRIAN RUSSELL ������������19 ASSOCIATE AD FOR ACADEMIC SERVICES STEPHEN FUQUA ����������������������19 ATHLETIC TRAINER PAUL SCHMIDT ������������������������������������������������������������19 DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE MEDIA KELSEA ANSFIELD ������������������������������������19 OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR NICOLE ANDERSON ��������������������������������������������19 DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS JOSH WHITMAN ��������������������������������������������������20 DIA ADMINISTRATION / SUPPORT STAFF �����������������������������������������������21-22 ATHLETIC BOARD ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������22 UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION ��������������������������������������������������������������������23 BOARD OF TRUSTEES ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������23 RICHMOND ENDOWMENT ����������������������������������������������������������������������������24 THE COACHING STAFF RICHMOND FAMILY ENDOWED MEN’S HEAD COACH BRAD UNDERWOOD

“I dream big. And I dream bigger. Winning a national championship is something that can happen here, and I want to be part of that. I want to help lead this progam to that.” –– Brad Underwood at his introductory press conference (March 20, 2017)

Brad Underwood has reinvigorated the Illinois Basketball first Illini player in 10 years to earn first-team All-Big Ten program, bringing the Fighting Illini back to the national accolades. Kofi Cockburn was the team’s second-leading stage in just three years and carrying even higher scorer (13.3 ppg) and leading rebounder (8.8 rpg) en route expectations into his fourth season in Champaign. to being named 2020 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Underwood is the 18th head coach in Illinois history, hired Illinois was one of the most inexperienced teams in in March 2017 as the Richmond Family Endowed Men’s the country in 2019, with Underwood meshing seven Head Basketball Coach. He has won more than 67 percent newcomers into his 11-player rotation during his second THE UNDERWOOD FILE of his games through his first seven years as a Division season. Despite that youth, and facing the No. 3-ranked I head coach, recording five 20-win seasons and making regular season schedule by kenpom, the Illini doubled HOMETOWN their win total against conference foes, winning eight McPherson, Kan. four trips to the NCAA Tournament with a fifth appearance precluded by the cancellation of the 2020 postseason due games against Big Ten competitors. FAMILY to COVID-19. Wife, Susan The Illini recorded nine wins against teams rated in the Son, Tyler; Daughters, Katie & Ashley Underwood directed Illinois to the largest turnaround top-80 (kenpom), with four victories coming against EDUCATION among schools from the six major conferences last eventual NCAA Tournament teams. The improvement was , season (+10.0), while standing seventh across all of Div. highlighted by marquee wins over two top-15 ranked B.S., Radio & TV Communications, 1986 I for most improved teams. Illinois was ranked for eight opponents. Illinois defeated No. 13 Maryland at Madison weeks, checking in at No. 21 in the final Associated Poll Square Garden and knocked off No. 9-ranked and eventual PLAYING EXPERIENCE Big Ten champion and Final Four participant Michigan 1983 Hardin-Simmons University to finish a season ranked in the Top 25 for the first time 1984 Independence Community College since 2006. State at home, leading to a court rush celebration by 1985-86 Kansas State University Orange Krush students at the buzzer. The Illini recorded 21 victories during the regular season COACHING EXPERIENCE and won 13 Big Ten games – its most league wins since Illinois had 58 percent of its scoring come from newcomers, 1988 (1 YR) Graduate Assistant 2005 – to finish just one game back of the conference which was the most of any team in the Big Ten. For the Hardin-Simmons University title. The Illini’s .650 winning percentage in league play first time in school history, a true-freshman led Illinois 1989 (1 YR) Assistant Coach was its best since 2006 and the program earned a bye to in scoring on the season as averaged 13.8 Dodge City Community College the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinal round for the first points. And in conference play, Illinois had true-freshmen 1990-93 (4 YRS) Head Coach time since 2011. as its top two leading scorers for the first time ever in Dodge City Community College Dosunmu (14.8 ppg) and (13.5 ppg). Underwood installed a new defense prior to year three 1994-2003 (10 YRS) Assistant Coach and retooled the offense during the season, schematic Year one saw Underwood lay the foundation for the Illini Western Illinois University changes that led to Illinois ranking in the top 40 nationally program. Playing at the second-fastest tempo in the Big 2004-06 (3 YRS) Head Coach in both offensive and defensive efficiency (kenpom) for the Ten, Illinois topped 80 points in 12 games and averaged Daytona Beach Community College first time in nine years. Those changes complemented the 75.8 points on the season. That marked the UI’s highest trademark of Underwood-led teams that excel in transition scoring average in 13 years, since the 2005 national 2007 (1 YR) Director of Operations and on the glass. The Illini averaged more than 20 points runner-up season. The offense was aggressive in all Kansas State University per game in possessions under seven seconds and ranked phases, recording the team’s best offensive rebounding 2008-11 (4 YRS) Assistant Coach 11th in the nation in both offensive rebound rate (35.6) rate (.340) and highest free throw rate (.331) since 2008 Kansas State University and rebound margin (+7.5). and making the most free throws (478) since 2002. 2012 (1 YR) Associate Head Coach Kansas State University Illinois notched six Quad 1 wins on the season and was Defensively, Illinois ranked fourth nationally in turnover one of only two teams in the country to earn four road rate, forcing turnovers on 23.2 percent of opponent 2013 (1 YR) Associate Head Coach wins over teams in the top 35 of the NET. The Illini’s five possessions. The UI defense created its most turnovers University of South Carolina Big Ten road victories were its most in the last 10 years, (17.5 avg.) since 2000 while collecting its most steals 2014-16 (3 YRS) Head Coach highlighted by its first win at Purdue since the 2009 (6.3 spg) since 1999. Stephen F. Austin University season and its first wins at Wisconsin and at Michigan since 2010. Fans have come out to State Farm Center in big numbers Head Coach 2017 (1 YR) to watch the style of play of Underwood’s teams. Illinois’ Oklahoma State University The UI’s top two performers were once again improvement in average home attendance from 2017 to 2018- (4th YR) Head Coach underclassmen. Sophomore Ayo Dosunmu led the team in 2018 ranked 13th nationally. The average increase of University of Illinois scoring (16.6 ppg) and assists (3.3 apg), becoming the 1,231 fans, meanwhile, marked the largest jump for the

12 // FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL // 1,811 VICTORIES // 17 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS // 30 NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES // FIVE FINAL FOURS THE COACHING STAFF RICHMOND FAMILY ENDOWED MEN’S HEAD BASKETBALL COACH BRAD UNDERWOOD program in nearly 40 years (1979). Illinois’ attendance average increased by an additional 321 fans in 2019, and by 106 more fans in 2020.

Illinois played in front of sellout crowds in five of its final six home games last season, and the average home attendance of 13,041 ranked 24th nationally while registering as the highest mark for the program since the renovation of State Farm Center.

Underwood and his staff have also made waves on the recruiting trail during their time in Champaign. In year one on the job the Illini inked Ayo Dosunmu, the program’s highest-rated guard recruit since 2002. Year two was highlighted by the signing of Kofi Cockburn, the program’s highest- rated center recruit since 2010. In year three the UI landed a top 15-ranked class for 2020 headlined by a pair of top-50 recruits in Illinois Mr. Basketball Adam Miller and Andre Curbelo.

Underwood came to Illinois from Oklahoma State, where he led OSU to a 20-win season and 2017 NCAA Tournament appearance. The Cowboys had one of the most exciting and prolific offenses in the country, ranking eighth in the NCAA in scoring (85.7 ppg) and leading the nation in adjusted Illinois head coach Brad Underwood with his wife, Susan, son Tyler, and daughters, offensive efficiency. The Cowboys ranked eighth nationally in 3-point field Ashley (left) and Katie. goal percentage (.402) and fourth in the country in offensive rebounding percentage (.383). UNDERWOOD’S DI HEAD COACHING RECORD

Oklahoma State finished fifth in the Big 12 with a 9-9 conference record in a University of Illinois Overall / Conf. (Finish) Postseason season where the Big 12 was rated as the top conference in the nation. That 2019-20 21-10 / 13-7 (4th) canceled (COVID-19) was a dramatic improvement for the Cowboys, who went 3-15 in league play 2018-19 12-21 / 7-13 (T-10th) the year prior. Oklahoma State came on strong during the second half of the 2017-18 14-18 / 4-14 (T-11th) season, winning 10 of 11 games from Jan. 21-Feb. 25, 2017, which included Three Years 47-49 (.490) / 24-34 (.414) a pair of five-game winning streaks. Oklahoma State University Overall / Conf. (Finish) Postseason Following that successful turnaround at OSU, he accepted the Illinois job 2016-17 20-13 / 9-9 (5th) NCAA 1st Round owning a total of 109 wins, third-most ever by a NCAA Div. I head coach through four seasons. Stephen F. Austin University Overall / Conf. (Finish) Postseason Underwood arrived in Stillwater following a dominant run at Stephen F. 2015-16 28-6 / 18-0 (1st) NCAA Round of 32 Austin where he led the Lumberjacks to Southland Conference regular 2014-15 29-5 / 17-1 (1st) NCAA 1st Round 2013-14 32-3 / 18-0 (1st) NCAA Round of 32 season and tournament titles in each of his three seasons. Underwood Three Years 89-14 (.864) / 53-1 (.981) compiled an 89-14 record at SFA, tied with Brad Stevens (Butler, 2008-10) for the most wins ever by a head coach in his first three seasons at an NCAA TOTAL: Seven Years 156-76 (.672) school. • Four NCAA Tournament Appearances • Two NCAA Tournament Wins He led SFA to a 28-6 overall record and NCAA Round of 32 appearance in • Three Conference Championships 2016. The Lumberjacks rolled past No. 3 West Virginia in the first round, • Three Conference Tournament Titles 70-56, before narrowly missing a trip to the Sweet 16 with a 76-75 defeat to No. 6 Notre Dame in the second round. Underwood in the NCAA Tournament 2020* That Stephen F. Austin squad was efficient on both sides of the ball, ranking *Canceled due to COVID-19 57th nationally on offense and 38th on defense. The Lumberjacks averaged 2017 80.2 points accompanied by high-pressure defense that forced the highest First Round: #7 Michigan 92, #10 Oklahoma State 91 turnover rate in the country (.259). 2016 Underwood’s second SFA team went 29-5 in 2015, also advancing to the First Round: #14 Stephen F. Austin 70, #3 West Virginia 56 NCAA Tournament. The Lumberjacks ranked seventh in the nation in field Round of 32: #6 Notre Dame 76, #14 Stephen F. Austin 75 goal percentage (.487) and led the NCAA in assists (18.7 apg). 2015 First Round: #5 Utah 57, #12 Stephen F. Austin 50 His debut season in Nacogdoches in 2014 included a 29-game winning streak and culminated in a 32-3 record and NCAA Round of 32 appearance 2014 after a victory over No. 5 seed VCU in the opening round. Underwood earned First Round: #12 Stephen F. Austin 77, #5 VCU 75 the Joe B. Hall award, given to the nation’s top first-year coach. Round of 32: #4 UCLA 77, #12 Stephen F. Austin 60

2020-21 ILLINOIS BASKETBALL RECORD BOOK // 13 THE COACHING STAFF RICHMOND FAMILY ENDOWED MEN’S HEAD BASKETBALL COACH BRAD UNDERWOOD

Prior to taking over at Stephen F. Austin, Underwood spent the 2013 season as associate head coach at South Carolina under Frank Martin. He went to Columbia with Martin after serving on his bench for five seasons as an assistant at Kansas State, with his final season elevated to associate head coach. Underwood’s first year at K-State was in the role of director of operations for then-head coach .

Underwood had two head coaching stints in the junior college ranks, compiling a 70-24 record in three seasons at Daytona Beach (2004-06) and a 57-63 mark in four years at Dodge City (1990-93). In between those opportunities, Underwood was entrenched in the state of Illinois for 10 seasons, as an assistant coach for Jim Kerwin at Western Illinois from 1994-2003.

Underwood is a December 1986 graduate of Kansas State. He played in Manhattan for the legendary , K-State’s all-time winningest coach. Former Illinois head coach also played and coached for Hartman at Kansas State.

Underwood began his college career at Hardin-Simmons, where he later worked as a graduate assistant. Hardin-Simmons was the first college job for , the Fighting Illini’s all-time winningest coach whose name permanently adorns the court at State Farm Center.

Brad and his wife, Susan, have a son, Tyler, and two daughters, Katie and Ashley. Tyler is a member of the Fighting Illini basketball team, Katie also is a U of I student, and Ashley attends Miami-Ohio.

UNDERWOOD’S DI HEAD COACHING RECORD VS. ALL OPPONENTS ILL TOTAL Kansas...... 0-0...... 0-2 Our Lady of the Lake...... 0-0...... 1-0 Opponent W-L W-L Kansas State...... 0-0...... 1-1 Penn State...... 1-3...... 1-3 Abilene Christian...... 0-0...... 3-0 Lamar...... 0-0...... 6-0 Prairieview A&M...... 0-0...... 1-0 Appalachian State...... 0-0...... 1-0 Lindenwood (Mo...)...... 1-0...... 1-0 Purdue...... 2-2...... 2-2 Arizona...... 0-1...... 0-1 Long Beach State...... 0-0...... 1-0 Rogers State...... 0-0...... 1-0 Arizona State...... 0-0...... 0-1 Longwood...... 1-0...... 1-0 Rutgers...... 4-1...... 4-1 Arkansas...... 0-0...... 1-0 LSU-Shreveport...... 0-0...... 1-0 Samford...... 0-0...... 1-0 Arkansas Pine-Bluff...... 0-0...... 1-0 Marshall...... 1-0...... 2-0 Sam Houston State...... 0-0...... 8-0 Arkansas Tech...... 0-0...... 3-0 Maryland...... 1-3...... 1-4 Southeastern Louisiana...... 0-0...... 3-0 Augustana (Ill.)...... 1-0...... 1-0 McNeese State...... 0-0...... 3-0 Southern...... 1-0...... 1-0 Austin Peay...... 1-0...... 2-0 Memphis...... 0-0...... 1-0 TCU...... 0-0...... 2-0 Baylor...... 0-0...... 0-4 Miami...... 0-1...... 0-1 Texas...... 0-0...... 1-2 Cal State Northridge...... 0-0...... 2-0 Michigan...... 2-2...... 2-3 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi...... 0-0...... 6-1 Campbell...... 0-0...... 1-0 Michigan State...... 1-4...... 1-4 Texas Southern...... 0-0...... 1-0 Central Arkansas...... 0-0...... 4-0 Minnesota...... 2-2...... 2-2 Texas State...... 0-0...... 2-0 Citadel...... 1-0...... 1-0 Mississippi College...... 0-0...... 1-0 Texas Tech...... 0-0...... 2-0 Connecticut...... 0-0...... 1-0 Mississippi Valley State...... 1-0...... 1-0 Towson...... 0-0...... 1-0 DePaul...... 1-0...... 1-0 Missouri...... 1-2...... 1-2 Tulane...... 0-0...... 0-1 East Tennessee State...... 1-0...... 1-1 Nebraska...... 3-2...... 3-2 Tulsa...... 0-0...... 1-0 Elmhurst...... 0-0...... 1-0 New Mexico State...... 0-1...... 0-1 UAB...... 0-0...... 0-1 Evansville...... 1-0...... 1-0 New Orleans...... 0-0...... 4-0 UCLA...... 0-0...... 0-1 Florida Atlantic...... 0-1...... 0-1 Nicholls State...... 1-0...... 4-0 UNC-Wilmington...... 0-0...... 1-0 Georgetown...... 0-1...... 1-1 North Carolina...... 0-0...... 0-1 UNLV...... 1-1...... 1-1 Gonzaga...... 0-1...... 0-1 North Carolina A&T...... 1-0...... 1-0 Utah...... 0-0...... 0-1 Grand Canyon...... 2-0...... 2-0 North Carolina Central...... 1-0...... 1-0 UT Martin...... 1-0...... 1-0 Hampton...... 1-0...... 1-0 North Texas...... 0-0...... 2-0 UT Tyler...... 0-0...... 1-0 Hawaii...... 1-0...... 1-0 Northern Iowa...... 0-0...... 0-2 VCU...... 0-0...... 1-0 Henderson State...... 0-0...... 1-0 Northwestern...... 4-2...... 4-2 Wake Forest...... 0-1...... 0-1 High Point...... 0-0...... 1-0 Northwestern State...... 0-0...... 8-0 Western Michigan...... 0-0...... 1-0 Houston Baptist...... 0-0...... 6-0 Notre Dame...... 0-1...... 0-2 West Virginia...... 0-0...... 2-1 Incarnate Word...... 0-0...... 5-0 Ohio State...... 1-3...... 1-3 Wichita State...... 0-0...... 1-0 Indiana...... 2-3...... 2-3 Oklahoma...... 0-0...... 2-0 Wisconsin...... 1-4...... 1-4 Iowa...... 1-5...... 1-5 Old Dominion...... 1-0...... 1-0 Xavier...... 0-1...... 0-2 Iowa State...... 0-1...... 0-4 Oral Roberts...... 0-0...... 2-0 TOTAL...... 47-49...... 156-76 James Madison...... 0-0...... 1-0 Ouachita Baptist...... 0-0...... 1-0

14 // FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL // 1,811 VICTORIES // 17 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS // 30 NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES // FIVE FINAL FOURS THE COACHING STAFF ORLANDO ANTIGUA RON COLEMAN ASSISTANT COACH ASSISTANT COACH

Orlando Antigua is in his fourth season Ron “Chin” Coleman is in his fourth as an assistant coach after joining the season as an assistant coach after Fighting Illini staff in April 2017. joining the Fighting Illini staff in April 2017. Antigua works with the frontcourt players and has mentored a trio of Illini who have He works with the guards and has been excelled during his tenure in Champaign. instrumental in the development of Ayo Dosunmu. The point guard earned first- The 2020 season saw Kofi Cockburn emerge as the Big Ten’s top newcomer. team All-Big Ten honors in 2020 after He earned seven league freshman of the a dominant season where he averaged week accolades en route to being named 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Cockburn assists and closed out a number of Illini shattered the Illini freshman double- victories with clutch shots in the final doubles record with 12 while averaging seconds. 13.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks on the season. Coleman came to Champaign after serving two years as an assistant at UIC under then-coach Steve McClain. The Flames were one of the nation’s most In 2019, Giorgi Bezhanishvili arrived as an under-the-radar recruit but went on to improved teams in 2017, recording 17 victories to increase its win total by 12 start every game in the post, leading the team in rebounding and ranking among over the previous season. While at UIC, Coleman helped recruit and mentor NCAA leaders in field goal percentage while breaking the Illini school single-game Dikembe Dixson, the 2016 Horizon League Freshman of the Year. scoring record by a freshman. Prior to UIC, Coleman spent three years as an assistant at Bradley under then- In 2018, Leron Black earned honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades after leading coach Geno Ford, earning the title of assistant head coach in his final season Illinois in both scoring and rebounding. of 2015. Antigua arrived at Illinois following two and a half seasons as head coach at South Coleman entered the college ranks as an assistant for Tim Miles at Colorado Florida. He also served as head coach of the Dominican Republic men’s national team from 2013-15. During that stint in 2014, the Dominican Republic advanced State, helping the Rams to 20 wins and an NCAA Tournament appearance during to the bracket round of the FIBA World Cup for the first time in the country’s history. the 2012 season. He then followed Miles to Nebraska, serving as director of player development before returning to his home state for the assistant coaching Antigua earned the head position at South Florida after serving as an assistant for position at Bradley. for six seasons. He spent the 2009 season at Memphis before joining Calipari at Kentucky for five years from 2010-14. Named the top assistant coach in Before joining the profession at the collegiate level, Coleman coached one of the country under 40 by ESPN.com in 2012, Antigua helped assemble five straight the top AAU programs in the country, the Mac Irvin Fire, from 2005-11. He also No. 1-ranked recruiting classes during his time at UK. The Wildcats compiled a coached at the prep level in Chicago, leading Benjamin Mays Academy before 152-37 record during his tenure, highlighted by three Final Four appearances and becoming associate head coach at Whitney Young. culminating in the 2012 NCAA Championship. A Chicago native and graduate of South Shore, Coleman began his collegiate Prior to joining Calipari at Memphis, Antigua spent five seasons at his alma mater, career at Weber State. He then transferred to Lamar where he led the Cardinals . He was part of then-head coach ’s staff, three as director of in scoring for three straight seasons, recording 1,316 points to rank 11th on the basketball operations (2004-06) and two as assistant coach (2007-08) while Pitt school’s all-time scoring list. compiled a 132-40 record. Coleman earned a bachelor’s degree in applied arts and science from Lamar in Antigua played at Pittsburgh from 1992-95, serving as two-time team captain. 1997. He won the USBWA’s Most Courageous Athlete in 1994, an honor that is presented annually to a player who displays courage on and off the court. Coleman and his wife, Angela, have a daughter, Rahni. After graduating from Pittsburgh in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in social science, Antigua became the first player of Latin American descent to play for the famed , touring the world for seven years until 2002. The Globetrotters at that time were owned by Illinois alumnus and 2017 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Mannie Jackson.

Born in the Dominican Republic but raised in The Bronx borough of , Antigua attended St. Raymond’s High School. As a senior, he earned McDonald’s All-America and Parade magazine All-America second-team honors and was also named All-New York City.

Fluent in Spanish, Antigua and his wife, Dana, have a daughter, Olivia, and a son, Orlando Anthony.

2020-21 ILLINOIS BASKETBALL RECORD BOOK // 15 THE COACHING STAFF STEPHEN GENTRY GEOFF ALEXANDER ASSISTANT COACH ASSISTANT TO THE HEAD COACH

Stephen Gentry is in his second season Geoff Alexander is in his fourth season as an assistant coach after joining the as assistant to the head coach after Fighting Illini staff in August 2019. joining the Fighting Illini staff in July He was instrumental in schematic changes 2017. implemented during the 2020 season that saw the Illini improve 73 spots in defensive Alexander arrived in Champaign after efficiency and rise 45 spots in offensive spending five seasons as an assistant efficiency, as Illinois ended the year ranked coach at Evansville. During his time in the top 40 in both categories for the first serving under then-head coach Marty time since 2011. Simmons, the Purple Aces recorded three Gentry reunited with Brad Underwood after 20-plus win seasons. spending two years at Gonzaga as director of operations for coach Mark Few. The Included in that run was a 25-win Bulldogs had a stellar 65-9 record over campaign in 2016 that equaled the Gentry’s two seasons, winning back-to- most wins for Evansville in its Division back West Coast Conference titles and twice I history and culminated in a Missouri advancing to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Valley Conference Tournament title-game appearance. The 2015 Evansville Gonzaga went 32-5 in 2018, winning both the West Coast regular season and squad, meanwhile, won 24 games, highlighted by the CollegeInsider.com tournament championship, and made an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. The 2019 Tournament championship. Bulldogs, meanwhile, were 33-4 overall and a perfect 16-0 en route to the WCC regular season title. Gonzaga won the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, held the No. 1 ranking in Prior to his tenure at Evansville, Alexander spent one year as an assistant coach the AP poll for a total of five weeks, and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, at Eastern Illinois in 2012. That followed five years as an assistant at Idaho advancing to the Elite Eight. State from 2007-11, where he also served as the Bengals’ recruiting coordinator.

Gentry was alongside Underwood for four-plus seasons prior to his time at Gonzaga. Alexander served three years as an assistant for Underwood at Daytona State He was at Stephen F. Austin for three years, Oklahoma State for one, and was part of Underwood’s original staff at Illinois, as assistant to the head coach, during the spring College from 2004-06. The Falcons compiled a 70-24 record, including a 25-5 of 2017 before departing for Spokane. Gentry’s four seasons with Underwood saw their mark in 2006, and won three consecutive Mid-Florida Conference Championships. teams go a combined 109-27, including three conference championships and four NCAA He began in the junior college ranks as an assistant at Jacksonville (Texas) Tournaments. College during the 2003 season.

Gentry has been on staff for five conference championship teams in the last seven Alexander’s coaching career started as a two-year graduate assistant at his alma seasons, and part of teams that have participated in 10 of the last 12 NCAA mater, Western Illinois, from 2001-02. He competed for the Leathernecks for two Tournaments – including six-straight years through 2019 – recording a total of 11 Tournament wins. He also has contributed to three different teams that have had the seasons from 1999-2000 while Underwood was a WIU assistant, following two number one offensive efficiency ranking in the country: Gonzaga in 2019, Oklahoma seasons of play at Southeastern (Iowa) Community College. State in 2017, and Gonzaga as a player in 2006. Alexander had a stellar prep career at Lincoln High School. He played for his Gentry spent the 2017 season as director of player development at Oklahoma State, father, Neil, the winningest coach in school history. Geoff graduated from Lincoln where the Cowboys won 20 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Prior to OSU, in 1995 and still ranks in the program’s top-10 for career points, rebounds and Gentry was an assistant coach at Stephen F. Austin. The Lumberjacks went a combined assists. He was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of 89-14 during his three seasons, winning three straight Southland Conference regular season and tournament titles to qualify for the NCAA Tournament all three years, twice Fame in 2012, along with his younger brother, Gregg. They joined their father, advancing to the Round of 32. SFA went 32-3 in 2014, 29-5 in 2015, and 28-6 in 2016 who is a 2004 IBCA Hall of Fame inductee. for the winningest three-year run in Southland history. Alexander earned two degrees from Western Illinois, a bachelor’s in 2000 and a Prior to SFA, Gentry spent six seasons at Texas A&M, including his final two as director master’s in 2002. He is married to the former Kiersten Coleman. The Alexanders of basketball operations under then-coach Billy Kennedy. That followed four years as have two daughters, Braelyn and Kinley, and a son, Jax. video coordinator for former Texas A&M (now Maryland) coach . The Aggies won 129 games during his six season in College Station, participating in four NCAA Tournaments. Gentry came to A&M after one year as a video intern for the NBA’s Miami Heat under Pat Riley.

During his coaching career, Gentry has worked with eight players who have gone on to play in the NBA. Among the notable players he has mentored include Khris Middleton at Texas A&M, at Stephen F. Austin and Jeffrey Carroll at Oklahoma State.

Gentry played four seasons of college basketball at Gonzaga, lettering three years. During his career the Zags went 107-20, won four consecutive WCC titles and participated in four NCAA Tournaments, advancing to the second round three times and the Sweet 16 in 2006.

Gentry earned two degrees from Gonzaga, a bachelor’s in sport management in 2005 and a master’s in sport and athletic administration in 2006.

Gentry is married to the former Leah Wahlgren, who played college basketball at Oklahoma State. They have a daughter, Svea, and son, Gunnar.

16 // FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL // 1,811 VICTORIES // 17 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS // 30 NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES // FIVE FINAL FOURS THE COACHING STAFF ADAM FLETCHER JOEY BIGGS STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

Adam Fletcher is now in his sixth season Joey Biggs is Assistant Athletic Director as strength and conditioning coach for for basketball, now in his fourth year the Fighting Illini men’s basketball team with the Fighting Illini program after after joining the program in August joining the staff in April 2017. 2015. Biggs came to Illinois after spending 15 Fletcher came to Illinois from Towson, years at Oklahoma State. He served 11 where he served three years as the years there as assistant athletic director Tigers’ strength and conditioning coach. for basketball, overseeing travel, budget, After less than a year on the job, he was scheduling, special events, alumni promoted to director of strength and relations and operational functions. conditioning, leading the department while working with Towson’s men’s Prior to working with the Cowboys men’s basketball, men’s lacrosse and golf basketball program, Biggs oversaw programs. all marketing efforts of the Oklahoma State athletic department from 2002- During his time at Towson, the 2013 team made the largest single-season 06. He was responsible for season ticket campaigns, ticket office operations, turnaround in NCAA history while the 2014 team won a program Division I record merchandising, internet operation, contracts/vendor relationships, and all 25 games. Towson also won its first two postseason games as a D1 program. game-day staging.

Prior to arriving at Towson, Fletcher spent two years as assistant strength coach During his tenure, OSU set an all-time record for football season ticket sales at Michigan, working primarily with men’s basketball. The Wolverines went 45-24 in 2004, as well as records for total ticket revenues, merchandise revenues, during his two seasons in Ann Arbor, winning a share of the 2012 Big Ten title multimedia rights revenues and soft-drink revenues. and advancing to the NCAA Tournament both years. Before his arrival at Oklahoma State, Biggs spent two years as associate director His professional experience began with a series of internships, including IMG of athletics/external affairs at Emporia State University. He was in charge of all Academy and his alma mater, Miami-Ohio. fundraising, development, marketing, corporate sales, ticketing campaigns and media relations activities. Biggs also oversaw successful funding efforts to begin Fletcher was a four-year letterwinner and two-year starter on the RedHawks a women’s soccer program. During his era, Emporia State athletics established basketball team, playing from 2007-10. He served as team captain as a senior all-time marks for annual monies raised and total revenues generated. and also was named the team’s top defensive player. He also served as director of development for the Tulsa Sports Commission from Fletcher earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Miami University in May 1999 to September 2000. 2010, a Master of Science (Strength and Conditioning) degree from Edith Cowan University in 2011, and an associate’s degree in science (Massage Therapy) from He served as an assistant basketball coach and assistant athletic director at his Parkland College in 2019. alma mater, Ottawa University, from 1996-99. Biggs participated in basketball and golf while attending Ottawa, earning a bachelor’s degree in history in 1997. A native of St. Albans, W.Va., Fletcher is a Certified Strength and Conditioning He then received a master’s degree in sports administration from Kansas in Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, a Certified 1998. Sports Performance Coach by USA Weightlifting, and a licensed massage therapist in the state of Illinois. He also holds first aid, CPR and AED Joey and his wife, the former Michelle Arndt, have two daughters, Jenika and certifications. Jackelynn.

He is married to the former Kilee Taflinger, who is the strength and conditioning coach for the Fighting Illini women’s basketball team. The Fletchers reside in Champaign with their daughter, Maddie.

2020-21 ILLINOIS BASKETBALL RECORD BOOK // 17 THE COACHING STAFF ZACH HAMER KWA JONES VIDEO COORDINATOR GRADUATE MANAGER

Zach Hamer is in his second season Kwa Jones is in his second season as as video coordinator after joining the graduate manager for the Fighting Illini. Fighting Illini program in June 2019. Jones spent the previous three years as an on-court student manager Hamer spent the previous two years on for coach Kelvin Sampson and the staff with the Los Angeles Lakers. He Houston Cougars. He graduated from was an advance in 2019 after debuting the University of Houston in 2019 as a coaching associate in 2018. with a bachelor’s degree in sports Hamer handled opponent scouting, with administration. a focus on defensive game planning, and created video playbooks on all NBA He attended Jacksonville (Texas) College teams. for two years, working as a basketball manager while earning an Associate of Along with his NBA experience, he spent Science degree in 2016. the 2018 season in the WNBA, serving as A native of Nacogoches, Texas, Jones played basketball for four seasons at video coordinator for the Indiana Fever. Nacogdoches High School. During his time in the professional ranks, he also gained extensive experience in Jones is enrolled in the master’s program in recreation, sport and tourism. player development.

Hamer was a four-year student manager at Vanderbilt from 2013-17, working for coaches Kevin Stallings and Bryce Drew. He served as head manager during his final two seasons, culminating in consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances with the Commodores in 2016 and 2017.

A native of Northbrook, Illinois, Hamer earned a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt NEEL GANTA University in human and organizational development in 2017. GRADUATE MANAGER

Neel Ganta is in his first season as graduate manager for the Fighting Illini.

A native of Manhattan, Kansas, Ganta specializes in basketball analytics and served as a consultant to coach Underwood and the Illini program last season while he was a student at K-State.

During his time as an undergrad, Ganta fulfilled a pair of internships with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and served summer finance internships with JPMorgan Chase & Co. in 2018 and the Boston Celtics in 2019.

He graduated from Kansas State University in May, earning a bachelor’s degree in finance with a minor in computer science and certificates in data analytics and investment management.

Ganta is currently enrolled in the master’s program in technology management with a concentration in business data analytics.

18 // FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL // 1,811 VICTORIES // 17 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS // 30 NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES // FIVE FINAL FOURS THE COACHING STAFF BRIAN RUSSELL PAUL SCHMIDT SENIOR ASSOCIATE AD, SPORT ADMINISTRATION ATHLETIC TRAINER Dr. Brian Russell is Senior Associate Athletics Director for Paul Schmidt is in his ninth season in charge of athletic Sport Administration. He assumed this role, which includes training for the Illini men’s basketball program. oversight of Fighting Illini Men’s Basketball, in November 2020 after spending the last two-plus years as Associated Now in his 27th year working in college athletics, Schmidt Athletic Director for Academic Services. is in his 15th year at Illinois after previously serving six seasons as athletic trainer for the Illini women’s basketball Russell joined the Illinois staff in August 2018 following a team. 15-year stint at the University of Tennessee, where he was The Lombard, Illinois, native spent four years as the serving as the Director of Student-Athlete Academic Support head athletic trainer at Wayne State University in Detroit, Services. That included oversight of academic counseling Michigan, before coming to Illinois in August 2006. Prior to that, he spent eight years and day-to-day academic services for all Tennessee student-athletes. Additionally, working as an athletic trainer at Syracuse University. Russell was responsible for providing leadership and development to the associate and assistant directors, academic counselors and graduate assistants within the Thornton Schmidt received his B.S. in physical education from Northern Illinois University in 1992 Center on the UT campus. before spending one year as an athletic trainer at the High Plains Sports Medicine Clinic in Hays, Kansas. As Associate Director, Russell led the football division that had oversight of academic support and development of football student-athletes, and as assistant director, he He then headed to Syracuse to pursue a master’s degree and work as a graduate oversaw the Programs and Services area including the Thornton Center’s tutorial assistant athletic trainer for the Orange sports programs. Schmidt earned his M.S. in assistance program, the Maximizing Academic Potential (MAP) program for student- exercise physiology from Syracuse University in 1996 and spent the next six years there athletes with learning, psychological and physical disabilities, the Achieving Classroom as an assistant athletic trainer. Excellence (ACE) program for at-risk student-athletes, the math and writing labs, Schmidt is an Illinois State Licensed Athletic Trainer, an American Red Cross Certified programming for high achievers, and the PREGAME summer bridge program for new Instructor for First Aid, CPR & AED, and a National Academy of Sports Medicine student-athletes. Performance Enhancement Specialist. He also is a member of the National Athletics Trainer Association and the Illinois Athletic Trainers Association. A native of Lakeville, Indiana, Dr. Russell holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Notre Dame, a master’s degree in college student personnel and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in socio-cultural studies in sport from the University of Tennessee. KELSEA ANSFIELD His dissertation involved research into the academic and athletic adjustment to college of first-year student-athletes. He is a member of the National Association of Academic DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE MEDIA Advisors for Athletics (N4A) and holds leadership positions within the National Academic Kelsea Ansfield (née Garthoff) is in her fourth season as Advising Association (NACADA) including serving as Immediate Past Chair of the NCAA director of creative media after joining the Fighting Illini Advisory Board. staff in August 2017. She specializes in social media production and graphic design for recruiting.

She joined the athletic department after serving one year STEPHON FUQUA as marketing and sales director at the University of Illinois’ ASSOCIATE AD, ACADEMIC SERVICES Willard Airport. Dr. Stephon Fuqua is Associate Athletic Director for Prior to arriving at the U of I, Ansfield spent nearly four years at Utah State University, Academic Services, taking over as lead of the department first as new media coordinator for Aggie Athletics followed by lead graphic designer. in November 2020. She began her career as a graduate assistant in the marketing and communication office Fuqua joined the academic services staff at Illinois in at her alma mater, Drury University. January 2019, working with Illini Basketball. He arrived from Ohio State University, where he served as a Senior Athletic While at Drury, Ansfield was a four-year pitcher on the softball team. She concluded her career in 2012 as the Panthers’ career leader in victories (38), ERA (2.61), complete Academic Counselor in the Student-Athlete Support Services games (43) and strikeouts (237) while also throwing just the second no-hitter in school Office (SASSO). In his role, he oversaw the academic progress history vs. Missouri S&T on April 18, 2012. of football student-athletes and facilitated personal and professional development programming geared toward building their leadership and decision-making skills. She earned two degrees from Drury, a bachelor’s in integrated media, communication and writing in 2011 and a master’s in integrated marketing in 2013. Prior to joining the Buckeyes, he worked as an associate director in the office of Student- Athlete Support Services at the University of Cincinnati. During his five-year tenure, In 2019 she married Corey Ansfield, who works in the office of athletic development and he provided support to the men’s basketball and men’s and women’s golf teams and oversees the DIA’s annual fund (I FUND). assisted them in getting the resources they needed to be academically successful.

For three years, Dr. Fuqua served as an academic advisor and worked closely with the Student-Athlete Academic Success Center at Eastern Kentucky University to ensure NICOLE ANDERSON student-athletes were on pace to graduate. He also designed and implemented policies OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR and procedures that encouraged and promoted student accountability and success. Nicole Anderson is in her third year as office administrator. She performs countless organizational and business duties Dr. Fuqua earned a bachelor’s degree in business and organizational communication for the office and maintains Coach Underwood’s schedule. from the University of Akron in 2008. There, he was also a member of the football and track teams and was later selected as a 2009 undrafted free agent with the NFL’s New Anderson has worked for the University of Illinois since 1996, Orleans Saints. In 2010, Fuqua received a master’s in sport administration from Eastern spending her first 11 years with Campus Stores, Mail and Kentucky University and in 2019 earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Health Education from Receiving. the University of Cincinnati. His dissertation involved researching school factors and legal involvement in marijuana usage among African American male adolescents. Anderson joined the athletic department in 2007, beginning with a one-year role assisting football operations before an Dr. Fuqua is a member of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics eight-year stint as administrative secretary for the head football coach. (N4A), a 2017 recipient of the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA) Rudy Prior to joining the Illini men’s basketball staff, she spent nearly two years at the Irwin Keeling Postgraduate Scholarship and a 2018 graduate of the NCAA’s esteemed Dr. Academic Center assisting the academic services staff. Anderson resides in Gifford. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute.

2020-21 ILLINOIS BASKETBALL RECORD BOOK // 19 THE COACHING STAFF DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS JOSH WHITMAN

Illinois alumnus Josh Whitman was hired as the DIA’s Office of Athletic Development to achieve unprecedented success on the fundraising trail. In University’s 14th permanent director of athletics Whitman’s first four full years at the helm, DIA has generated more than $150 million in donated on February 17, 2016. Since his arrival, Whitman’s dollars, including several of the largest single gifts in program history. For the first time, Illinois “We Will Win” mantra and message of unity, recorded more than $40 million in new gift commitments in three consecutive fiscal years (FY18 optimism, and bold action have rekindled the fire through FY20), culminating, in FY20, with more than $45 million in new gifts, the second-highest in the hearts of Illini fans everywhere. single-year total in Illinois Athletics history.

The first full four years of Whitman’s tenure In 2018, DIA announced a $20 million donation from the H.D. Smith Foundation, led by brothers Dale saw Illinois Athletics make steady progress in and Chris Smith, to name the Henry Dale and Betty Smith Football Center in honor of their parents. the high-profile sports of football and men’s Whitman led the effort to secure a $7 million gift from the Demirjian family to create the new basketball. During the 2019 season, the Illini stadium and related facilities for soccer and track and field. He worked with longtime donors Susie football team posted two of the biggest wins Atkins and Rex Martin to garner separate $3 million naming gifts for new indoor training facilities in program history with an upset victory over for baseball and softball, respectively. In total, DIA has received 27 gifts of $1 million or more during sixth-ranked Wisconsin and an incredible come- Whitman’s tenure. From 2017 through 2020, Illinois Athletics experienced year-over-year growth in from-behind win at Michigan State. The victory each of the four years for the first time in more than a decade. over the Spartans made Illinois bowl eligible for the first time since 2014 and resulted in the Internally, Whitman reorganized the department’s leadership structure and created the Committee Fighting Illini playing California in the Redbox on Diversity and Inclusion, which hosted DIA’s first Diversity Summit in the spring of 2018 and has Bowl. During 2019, Whitman also negotiated played a prominent role in helping student-athletes and staff navigate complicated social justice an appearance by the Fighting Illini in the Aer initiatives and issues. He led a comprehensive effort to develop a new DIA mission statement (Unify. Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland, Develop. Inspire. Achieve.) and is working actively to implement that mission statement into DIA’s to open the 2021 season. In men’s basketball, the 2020 Fighting Illini team posted one of the daily activities. largest turnarounds in the country, improving by nine total wins. The squad competed for the Big Ten regular-season title until the final week of the season and was primed for a deep postseason Whitman has led a variety of other initiatives as well. In 2016, Whitman announced the creation of run until games were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The team finished the season the University’s Athletics Hall of Fame, which will induct its fourth class in the spring of 2021. In ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2006 and is widely viewed as one of the nation’s top the summer of 2020, following an extensive community effort, the Illinois High School Association teams heading into the 2020-21 season. elected to return its Boys State Basketball Championship series back to State Farm Center, after an absence of more than 25 years. Finally, DIA continues to explore partnership opportunities with a More broadly, the competitiveness of the Illinois programs has seen marked improvement under number of entities, including the City of Champaign, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, the Whitman’s leadership. In the Learfield Directors’ Cup standings, Illinois moved from 54th in 2015- National Hockey League, and several local businesses on a multi-use downtown development that 16, the year of his arrival, to 36th in 2017-18 and 43rd in 2018-19. During Whitman’s tenure, Illinois could result in Illinois adding Division I men’s ice hockey. teams have made 45 NCAA postseason appearances, highlighted by 15 teams finishing in the top 16 nationally and six finishing in the nation’s top four. In addition, three Illinois student-athletes have Whitman, a former Academic All-American at Illinois, emphasizes strong performance by Fighting captured four individual national championships (wrestler Isaiah Martinez, 2016; men’s gymnast Illini student-athletes in the classroom as well. In each year of his tenure, student-athletes have Brandon Ngai, 2016; and men’s gymnast Alex Diab, 2018 and 2019). In Big Ten competition, the posted a combined GPA of above 3.12. During the Spring 2020 semester, 18 of 19 Fighting Illini men’s golf program has won four consecutive Big Ten crowns and men’s gymnastics captured the programs posted team GPAs of 3.00 and an Illinois record 78% of student-athletes earned GPAs conference title in 2018. above 3.00. In the last three years, Illinois student-athletes have garnered a total of 641 Academic All-Big Ten selections. Teams have also set records for APR scores and the GSR score of 92 in 2019 Whitman has hired six new head coaches, including iconic football coach , who led was the best in school history. the Chicago Bears to Super Bowl XLI; Brad Underwood, who has won more than 67 percent of his games in seven years as a Division I head coach; and women’s basketball coach Nancy Fahey, who At the time of his hiring in early 2016, Whitman, then 37 years old, was the youngest athletics arrived in Champaign-Urbana having already been inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of director in the Autonomy 5. Prior to returning to Illinois, Whitman, now 42 years old, spent nearly six Fame. Other Whitman head coach hires are Chris Tamas for volleyball, who has taken the Illini to years as an athletics director at two universities. He came to Champaign-Urbana following almost three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, highlighted by a trip to the national semifinals in two years as director of athletics at Washington University in St. Louis, a nationally recognized 2018; Evan Clark with women’s tennis, who has already garnered Big Ten Coach of the Year honors NCAA Division III program with 19 varsity sports and approximately 500 student-athletes. During and whose teams have become a fixture in NCAA postseason competition; and Nadalie Walsh with Whitman’s tenure, the program posted seven top-five NCAA finishes, a combined GPA of 3.35, and a women’s gymnastics, whose teams finished as Big Ten runner-up in consecutive seasons. Whitman graduation rate of 99 percent. Before joining Washington University, Whitman served as the director also restructured the Illinois men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field and cross of athletics at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, another of the nation’s leading Division III country programs, bringing those six programs under a single, unified coaching structure led by programs. Combined at those two institutions, Whitman’s teams earned four national titles and 24 veteran coach Mike Turk. NCAA top-five team finishes, plus 34 conference championships.

Whitman has executed an aggressive facilities agenda since his hiring. A highlight was the Whitman has two Illinois degrees. He graduated with Bronze Tablet honors in 2001 while earning a construction and completion of the $79.2 million, 110,000-square-foot Henry Dale and Betty Smith bachelor’s degree in finance. In 2008, he graduated summa cum laude from the Illinois College of Football Center, which was formally dedicated in October 2019. Other projects include Demirjian Law before serving as a judicial law clerk for Judge Michael Kanne on the U.S. Court of Appeals for Park, the new home for the Illinois soccer and track and field programs that will be fully open the Seventh Circuit. From 2005 to 2008, he worked for DIA and former Illini athletics director Ron in early 2021; breaking ground on the Susan Guenther in various administrative capacities. and Clint Atkins Baseball Training Center, UI ATHLETIC DIRECTOR HISTORY scheduled to open in 2022; and beginning work On the gridiron for the Fighting Illini, Whitman was a four-year starting tight end from 1997-2000 1892-94 Edward K. Hall on the Rex and Alice A. Martin Softball Training and two-time First Team Academic All-American. He then spent parts of four seasons as a player in 1894-95 Fred D. Dodge Center, also scheduled for completion in 2022. the , including stints with the San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Seattle 1895-98 Henry H. Everett Whitman has spearheaded the development Seahawks and . 1898-1901 Jacob K. Shell of the Fighting Illini Center for Excellence, a 1901-36 George A. Huff centralized hub of student-athlete support Prior to embarking on his career in athletics administration, Whitman practiced law in Washington, 1936-41 Wendell S. Wilson services located in Memorial Stadium. To D.C., with Covington & Burling LLP, a firm with a preeminent sports practice that represents, among assist Illinois’ nationally ranked men’s and other clients, the National Football League. 1941-66 Douglas R. Mills women’s golf programs, Whitman orchestrated 1966-67 Leslie Bryan (interim) the acquisition of the former Stone Creek Whitman grew up in West Lafayette, Ind., and is married to Hope Whitman. They have two children: 1967-72 E.E. (Gene) Vance Golf Club as part of a $15 million, multi- a daughter Tate, who is four, and a two-year-old son, Will. Whitman remains a licensed attorney and 1972 Charles E. Flynn (interim) faceted gift of real estate to the University is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. In 2019, Whitman was 1972-79 Cecil N. Coleman from long-time friends of Illinois Athletics, selected to the national board of directors for the Sports Lawyers Association. 1979 (interim) the Atkins family. The course, now rebranded 1980-88 Neale R. Stoner the Atkins Golf Club at the University of Whitman’s leadership has earned national attention, highlighted in early 2018 when Sports 1988 Ronald E. Guenther (interim) Illinois, will be renovated and improved using Business Journal named him to its prestigious Forty Under 40 list. In July 2017, Whitman was funds from a recently received $5 million selected Central Illinois Business Magazine’s Forty Under 40 Man of the Year. The Whitmans have 1988 Dr. Karol A. Kahrs (interim) anonymous gift to provide Illinois Golf with a become engaged in several Champaign-Urbana community organizations, including the United 1988-91 championship-caliber home when it re-opens Way, Courage Connection, Coaches vs. Cancer, and the Tom Jones Challenger League. Whitman 1991-92 Robert Todd (interim) in 2021. Whitman is now in the midst of an has been recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow by the Champaign Rotary. He and Hope are significant 1992-2011 Ronald E. Guenther ambitious fundraising effort to renovate and contributors to the I FUND and made a significant gift to the Smith Football Center to honor football 2011-2015 Mike Thomas expand the Ubben Basketball Practice Facility. alumni in the facility. They have also supplied meaningful financial support to the McLendon 2015-16 Paul Kowalczyk (interim) Minority Leadership Initiative, a program aimed at providing minority students internships in 2016- Josh Whitman To support this facilities plan and various other athletics administration. strategic initiatives, Whitman has teamed with

20 // FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL // 1,811 VICTORIES // 17 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS // 30 NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES // FIVE FINAL FOURS THE COACHING STAFF DIA ADMINISTRATION / SUPPORT STAFF

Warren Hood Susan Young Cassie Arner Sara Burton Marty Kaufmann Howard Milton Deputy Director of Athletics Executive Senior Associate AD Senior Associate AD Senior Associate AD Senior Associate AD Senior Associate AD Chief Financial Officer Marketing and Strategic Communication Sports Administration External Relations Development

Ryan Squire Brett Stillwell Christopher Span Tiffany White Randy Ballard Kent Brown Senior Associate AD Senior Associate AD Faculty Representative Faculty Representative Associate AD Associate AD Chief Integrity Officer Capital Projects & Facilities Sports Medicine Media Relations

John Chipman Zach Goines Jason Heggemeyer Nick Rogers Carrie Ummel Benjy Wilber Associate AD Associate AD Associate AD Associate AD Associate AD Associate AD Business Affairs Development Ticketing and Sales Information Technology Development Compliance

Lenny Willis Zach Acton Brian Amentt Cory Ansfield Paige Apkarian Dr. Robert Bane Associate AD Assistant AD Director Assistant AD Assistant Director Orthopedic Surgeon Facilities Event Management Ticketing I FUND Scholarships Creative Services

LeeAnn Bird Dustin Boyer Derrick Burson Bobbi Busboom David Craan Kyle Croy Associate Director Director Assistant AD Assistant AD Social Media Coordinator Assistant Equipment Academic Services Premium Seating Communication Development, Operations Manager

2020-21 ILLINOIS BASKETBALL RECORD BOOK // 21 THE COACHING STAFF DIA ADMINISTRATION / SUPPORT STAFF

Tom Divan Grace Duggan Kilee Fletcher Mike Glasgow Dr. Jeremy Henrichs Barry Houser Director of Facility Management Social Media Strategist Assistant Strength Coach Assistant Director Team Physician Conductor State Farm Center Creative Services Athletic Bands

Palmer Johnson Kathleen Knight Adam Marantz John Marquardt Jason Marry Maria McDevitt Team Sport Dietitian Assistant AD Director Interim Director Associate Director Assistant Director Development, Chicago Creative Services State Farm Center Fighting Illini Productions Development

Kevin Mitchell Brett Moore Derryl Myles Giana O’Connor Nisar Qureshi Rick Raven Assistant Director Associate Director Assistant AD Assistant Director Assistant AD Equipment Manager Development Athletics Communication Fighting Illini Productions Marketing Human Resources

Stephanie Record Luke Reiff Liz Reyes Tessi Taylor Deon Thomas Chris Tuttle Cheerleading Coach General Manager Assistant AD Director Associate Director Director Fighting Illini Sports Properties Student-Athlete Development Compliance Development, Chicago Development

2020-21 ATHLETIC BOARD

Alumni Members Faculty Members Faculty Athletics Ex-Officio Maureen Durack James Anderson Representatives Members Michael Engelhardt Neha Gothe Christopher Span Mike Bass Paul Hunt Paul Heald Tiffany White Mike DeLorenzo J. Andrew Langan Barry Houser Josh Whitman Michael LeRoy Student Members Brenda Lindsey Zac Braunagel Fred Wakefield Brian Walsh Lee Zerrusen Endalyn Taylor, chair Daniela Sirott Director Assistant AD Director Nathan Tanner Development, West Coast Summer Camps and Clinics Varsity “I” Association

22 // FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL // 1,811 VICTORIES // 17 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS // 30 NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES // FIVE FINAL FOURS THE COACHING STAFF UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION

TIMOTHY L. KILLEEN ROBERT JONES PRESIDENT CHANCELLOR Timothy L. Killeen took office as the 20th president of the Robert J. Jones became chancellor of the University of Illinois University of Illinois in May 2015, bringing more than three at Urbana-Champaign on September 26, 2016. He previously decades of experience as an educator, researcher and served as president of the University at Albany, State University administrator in public higher education and in leadership of New York (SUNY) and is an experienced and accomplished positions with national scientific research agencies. scientist and research university leader.

In the first months of his presidency, Killeen led the At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Jones serves development of an ambitious new Strategic Framework to as chancellor of the state’s flagship, land-grant university. At guide the U of I System and its universities in Chicago, Urbana, Jones’ tenured faculty home is in the Department of Crop Springfield and Urbana-Champaign. The roadmap set high- Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental aspiration goals to make the U of I a model for higher Sciences (ACES). Jones is the first African American scholar education in the 21st century, and build on its rich legacy of appointed as Urbana chancellor since the office was created service to students, innovation and economic growth. in 1967. He is the current Chair of the Board of Directors for the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and a member of the American Enrollment has since grown to a record 86,000-plus students system-wide and its faculty Academy of Arts and Sciences. have been chosen to lead important research projects from healthcare to cybersecurity, adding to nearly $1 billion in annual research funding. At Illinois, he launched a year-long celebration of the university’s Sesquicentennial that honored its history while establishing a new vision of the land-grant university for the 21st Under Killeen’s leadership, the U of I System has championed student access and century. Under his leadership that future is taking shape quickly and visibly. The university has affordability, including a five-year, in-state tuition freeze and substantial increases in launched a $2.25 billion philanthropic campaign that has already reached 94% of its goal and institutional financial aid. He also has launched new programs to expand on the system’s includes two of the largest private gifts ever made to Illinois. He has implemented the vision ranks of world-class faculty, and to build or upgrade nearly 350 facilities over the next of creating The Carle Illinois College of Medicine, the first engineering-based medical school decade. in the world. The hiring of an inaugural vice chancellor for diversity, education and inclusion was a major step in fostering an even more open and collaborative community of students and Killeen also has helped lead development of new innovation initiatives to promote economic faculty. And with the Illinois Commitment, a program that guarantees four years free tuition prosperity in Illinois and beyond, including the Discovery Partners Institute and Illinois to state residents with family incomes less than $61,000, Jones has continued to deliver on Innovation Network, a statewide research enterprise that will accelerate discovery to drive the university’s founding promise of making a world-class college education affordable and progress and prosperity. accessible.

Before joining the U of I System, Killeen served as vice chancellor for research and president A Georgia native, Jones, earned a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Fort Valley State College, of the Research Foundation at the State University of New York (SUNY), one of the nation’s a master’s degree in crop physiology from the University of Georgia, and a doctorate in crop largest higher education systems. In his dual role, he was at the center of SUNY’s strategy physiology from the University of Missouri, Columbia. He is a member of the American Academy for research growth. of Arts and Sciences and is a fellow of the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America. He began his academic career as a faculty member at Minnesota in 1978 Earlier, he served as assistant director for the geosciences at the National Science and became an internationally respected authority on plant physiology. Foundation, as the Lyall Research Professor at the University of Colorado, as director and senior scientist for the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and spent more than 20 Throughout his distinguished, 34-year career at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities years as a faculty member and researcher at the University of Michigan, where he also served campus, Jones held several progressively responsible positions at the Big Ten institution. as associate vice president for research. While senior vice president for system academic administration, Jones had administrative and budgetary responsibilities for the four constituent campuses in Duluth, Crookston, Morris He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2007, and is a member and past and Rochester and the offices for public engagement, equity and diversity, Extension Service, president of the American Geophysical Union; a fellow of the American Meteorological Society Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Stations, information technology and human resources. and the American Association for the Advancement of Science; and a member of the New York Academy of Sciences. He has authored more than 150 publications in peer-reviewed journals, From Minnesota, Jones became the President of the University at Albany, one of SUNY system’s along with more than 300 other publications and papers. leading research universities. During his tenure there, Jones launched that university’s largest and most strategic academic expansion in 50 years, including establishment of the nation’s A leading researcher in geophysics and space sciences, Killeen received his bachelor’s first integrated College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity. He degree and Ph.D. at University College London, where he earned his doctoral degree in atomic also created the university’s first College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. and molecular physics at the age of 23. Throughout his career, Jones has worked to make education available to promising young Killeen’s wife, Roberta M. Johnson, holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in geophysics and scholars around the world. From 1984-1994, he worked with Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s South space physics from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has published more than African Education Program (as an academic and scientific consultant) which educated more 60 peer-reviewed papers and other publications in the areas of isotope geochemistry and than 3,000 black South Africans in American Universities. upper atmospheric research, as well as on educational programs. Jones is married to Dr. Lynn Hassan Jones, MD, a retired muscular skeletal diagnostic She began her career as a research physicist at SRI International in Menlo Park, Calif., radiologist. Together they have five children and four grandchildren. before moving on to continue her research at the University of Michigan Space Physics Research Laboratory. While there, she initiated the Windows to the Universe project, which she continued to direct until 2016. She also served as director of education and outreach BOARD OF TRUSTEES at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, as a scientist at the High Altitude Observatory, and as executive director of the National Earth Science Teachers Association. Ramón Cepeda, Darien Edward L. McMillan, Greenville Most recently, she served for three years as a clinical professor at the State University of New Kareem Dale, Chicago Jill B. Smart, Downers Grove York at Albany in the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences. She is a fellow Donald J. Edwards (chair), Chicago Ali Mirza, UIUC student of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, and received the American Geophysical Ricardo Estrada, Chicago Jocelyn Bravo, UIC student Union’s Athelstan Spilhaus Award in 2016 for her work to bring the excitement and beauty Patricia Brown Holmes, Chicago Austin Verthein, UIS student of the geosciences to the public. Naomi D. Jakobsson, Urbana Governor J.B. Pritzker, ex-officio The Killeens have three children. Stuart C. King, Champaign

2020-21 ILLINOIS BASKETBALL RECORD BOOK // 23 THE COACHING STAFF RICHMOND ENDOWMENT

RICHMONDS ENDOW BASKETBALL COACH’S POSITION

The legacy of Jack Richmond abounds at his alma His years at the U of I were greatly mater, the University of Illinois. satisfying. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta social fraternity and was The Champaign resident, retired businessman, and active in sports. As a freshman gymnast U of I graduate and benefactor died April 17, 2011. who earned his numerals with the U of I But his love of his university lives. One of the more team, Jack broke his sternum following a recent gifts from the lifelong Fighting Illini fan and dismount from the flying rings. No longer his wife, Marge, endowed the salary of the men’s able to compete as a gymnast, he focused basketball head coach position. This $2 million his attention on weight training. At that gift significantly increased their previous seven- point, weights weren’t popular and were figure commitment to the Division of Intercollegiate nonexistent at the U of I. Athletics. Still, he convinced Seward Staley, director Their generosity extends across the U-C campus. In of the U of I School of Physical Education, 2004, Mr. Richmond made a six-figure gift creating to purchase a set of Olympic weights. A the Jack C. Richmond Scholarships for members of small but dedicated weight lifting team the men’s varsity gymnastics team. In 2003, the was formed, and the sport spread to Richmonds made a $1.5 million gift resulted in first to the intramural level and then Above: Jack and Marge Richmond Family Gallery, the first floor reception was adopted by the physical education Richmond with Mr. Richmond’s area in the Alice Campbell Alumni Center. The department as a P.E. course. mother, Mildred. Richmonds also provided a $2 million gift to the College of Communications in 1998 that created the Today, the benefits of weight training Right: Jack Richmond, 1940. Richmond Journalism Teaching Studio, a broadcast are widely recognized and top-notch facility for journalism students in Campbell Hall for equipment is available across campus. Public Telecommunication. The Richmond Studio success in this realm as well, and was more than Those muscles paid off for Jack, who was a railroad and the Richmond Family Gallery honor Jack and willing to share. A donor since 1965, his generosity worker, wrecking crew member, meat truck driver, Marge as well as the memory of Jack’s parents, to the U of I increased significantly over the years. corn detassler, lifeguard, bouncer and even a model Arthur Dean and Mildred Hummel Richmond. Jack and his mother became members of the for the U of I art school to pay for his education. Presidents Council in 1976 and Marge became a “The Richmond Family Endowed Men’s Head He graduated in 1943 with a bachelor’s degree in member in 1990. Basketball Coach” is another example of the agriculture. generations-long benevolence of the Richmond Always interested in athletics at the U of I, Jack He followed up his four years of ROTC at the U of family. Jack’s ancestors helped settle Champaign and Mildred Richmond had made a $1 million I with a tour in the Army. Then he put his degree County, and his parents contributed to the U of I for commitment to the Athletic Department in 1981. to work when he joined the U.S. Department of the construction of Memorial Stadium. Seven-year- He became an honorary member of the I Man’s Agriculture’s Soil Conservation Service as a county old Jack was on hand for the dedication of Memorial Association and had been a member and former farm planner, opening district offices in Macon Stadium on Oct. 18, 1924, a day forever highlighted president of the Illini Quarterback Club since 1955. County and Clark County. by Red Grange’s five touchdowns during an Illinois He also joined the Rebounders Club shortly after romp over top-ranked Michigan. Jack Richmond Later, Mr. Richmond was recruited by a former former head coach Lou Henson founded it and had was hooked on Fighting Illini sports for the rest of been a life member of the Fighting Illini Scholarship his life. member of the U of I gymnastics team as a salesman for Marchant Calculators. His capacity Fund. to sell was exceptional, and he soon had clients But before he could attend the U of I, he learned a The Richmond name will be forever associated with from area grain elevator operators to the U of I. He few lessons in life. The Richmonds were devastated athletics at the U of I through the endowment of the remained with Marchant, which was acquired by by the Great Depression, losing their significant men’s basketball head coach position. For lifelong Smith Corona and became known as SCM Corp., holdings of farmland and other assets. The dramatic Fighting Illini fan Jack Richmond, that always until 1972. Then he was ready to embark on a new change in lifestyle had a profound effect on young seemed most appropriate. Jack. course — the stock market.

It also made him further appreciate the University He had dabbled in the market since 1955, but by of Illinois. the early 1970s he had the time and resources to become more active in the stock market. He enjoyed

24 // FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL // 1,811 VICTORIES // 17 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS // 30 NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES // FIVE FINAL FOURS