Boys Tennis Coaches

Kelly Willard - Head Coach

  • Head Coach --> 1998 to present

  • Overall Record --> 430-80

  • Mid-Illini Titles --> 10 ('03, '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '14, '15, '21)

  • Sectional Titles --> 15 ('03, '04, '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '14, '18, '19, '21, '22, '23, '24)

  • Highest State Finishes --> 3rd ('21), 6th ('17), 7th ('19), 10th ('10)

  • IHSTCA State Coach of the Year --> 2021, 2010

  • IHSTCA Regional Coach of the Year --> 2019, 2017, 2014

  • NFHS State Coach of the Year --> 2022

  • NFHS Midwest Coach of the Year --> 2022

  • MTHS Hall of Fame

  • Illinois High School Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame

Coach Willard has completed 27 seasons with the boys and 11 with the girls (9 frosh / soph and 2 varsity).  With the girls, his overall record is 123-12 with eight unbeaten Mid-Illini seasons. His FS teams are 65-1 all-time in Mid-Illini play.

He has been a member of the IHSTCA Board of Directors since 2002.  He has served as secretary, Hall of Fame chair, and President.  Coach Willard has also completed a three-year term on the IHSA Tennis Advisory Committee.  Additionally, he has also served on the boys state tournament seeding committee every year since 2004 and the girls committee since 2016.

He graduated from MTHS in 1988, received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Illinois in 1992, and earned a degree in mathematics from Illinois State University in 1999.

Kelly is the Director of Alumni and Friends at MTHS. He lives in Germantown Hills with his wife, Amy. They have three children, Ryan, Emily, and Jamie.

Records

Varsity Boys
430-80

Varsity Girls
19-9

FS Girls
104-3

Overall
553-90

Dan Ballard - F/S Coach

Coach Ballard joins the Redbird boys tennis staff in 2025. He coached six seasons of tennis at Washington High School and one season of frosh/soph at MTHS. In addition to coaching tennis, he has also coached volleyball at Metamora since 2014.

Dan earned the IHSTCA Regional Coach of the Year award in 2018 while at Washington.

He played tennis at and graduated with a computer engineering degree from Cedarville University in 2008 and earned his teaching certificate from Taylor University in 2011. Before coming to MTHS, he taught math at Washington for six years. 

Coach Ballard teaches computer science and math at MTHS. He lives in Metamora with his wife, Tara, and three children, Charlie, Nora, and Benjamin.

Varsity Head Coaching History

Coach (Years)

Tom Gillhouse (1986-1987)
Steve Bortolotti (1988-1990)
Ron Kiesewetter (1991-1997)
Kelly Willard (1998-present)

Totals

Varsity Record

3-17 (.150)
23-15 (.605)
55-33 (.625)
430-80 (.843)

511-145 (.779)