Illinois Volleyball Locks In Head Coach Chris Tamas With Contract Extension

Illinois coach Chris Tamas signs an extension as the program looks to rebound in 2026 and return to the NCAA Tournament.

Illinois coach Chris Tamas, center, brings his team together during the first set against the Oregon Ducks | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Ahead of his tenth season as head coach of the Illinois Fighting Illini volleyball program, Chris Tamas has received a contract extension through the 2028-2029 academic year, making him one of the longest-tenured head coaches in the Big Ten.

When asked about his extension at Big Ten Media Day, Tamas said, “It’s really become home for my wife and I. Obviously she works with me as an assistant. To be a part of the Champaign-Urbana community is a huge deal to us…I’ve enjoyed every step of the way. This place is home for us. We’re not going anywhere as long as they’ll have [us].”

Here to stay.

Head coach Chris Tamas has signed a contract extension through the 2028-29 academic year! pic.twitter.com/m8g147C7xl

— Illinois Volleyball (@IlliniVBall) August 1, 2026

How Tamas Got Here

Tamas’ tenure as head coach has been entirely at Illinois, but he has worked under former US National Team coaches Ron Larsen (UC-Riverside) and Hugh McCutcheon (Minnesota), and helped John Cook’s Nebraska team to a national championship.

Tamas has started his own impressive coaching tree, with three former coaches, Rashinda Reed (Alabama), Jason Mansfield (Kansas State) and Alfee Reft (UCLA, LOVB San Francisco), all leading their own programs.

Through his first nine seasons, Tamas has a 162-110 (98-50 conference) record and seven winning seasons. He has taken the Illini to five NCAA tournament appearances, including two sweet sixteens (2017 and 2021) and a final four (2018).

Tamas has also had five All-Americans play under him: Ali Basianelli (2017 and 2018), Jordyn Poulter (2017 and 2018), Jacqueline Quade (2018), and Raine Terry (2024), accounting for nearly one-third of Illinois’ All-Americans.

Illinois Volleyball 2025 and Beyond

In 2025, Tama earned his 150th career win at the Sprouts Farmers Market Broadway Block Party against Vanderbilt and beat No 10 Purdue on the road - the team’s highest-ranked road victory since 2021.

Illinois returns three of its top four leaders in kills and points from last year in Taylor de Boer (OH/Opp), Alyssa Aguayo (OH), and Ashlyn Philpot (MB). It also adds three new players from the transfer portal: Vivian Chapman, a senior libero from Tennessee, Talita Goncalves, a sophomore libero from San Jose State, and Lindsay Oldendorf, a fifth-year middle blocker from the University of Northern Iowa and an international player, Kristina Starostenko, a junior middle blocker from Ukraine with three years of eligibility.

The 2025 season may not have gone as well as players, coaches, and fans would have liked, with their first non-winning record since the conference-only COVID season in 2020-2021, finishing 10th in the Big Ten and being selected 10th in the 2026 preseason poll, but Tamas is more interested in looking ahead and what could be an exciting season, hopefully including a bid in the inaugural Big Ten Tournament and another NCAA tournament run.

“We addressed some things amongst the team and were able to get a few players on the roster, international transfers, some talented freshmen,” Tamas said in his opening statement at media day. The staff, players, and administration at Illinois believe that these changes will propel the program back to a winning season in 2026.