Illinois State men’s basketball alum Tony Wills ’17 is in his first season as an assistant coach for the UIC men’s basketball program. Fellow Redbird alum Luke Yaklich ’98—an assistant at Illinois State during Wills’ four-year playing career—is UIC’s head coach, and former Redbird player Madison Williams ’20 is also an assistant coach.
Appears In“This opportunity means a lot to me to come help build with Coach Yak, who coached and developed me at Illinois State,” Wills said. “Coach Yak has the formula for success. He’s won everywhere. I’m beyond excited to be a part of the Flames program.”
During his senior season in 2016-17, Wills made 32 starts and helped the Redbirds (28-7, 17-1 MVC) earn a share of the MVC regular-season title. He was also named to the MVC All-Defensive Team.
“Tony had a great career at Illinois State where I had the opportunity to watch him grow and develop as a student-athlete,” Yaklich said. “The passion and energy he competed with as a student-athlete matches his love for teaching the game and positively impacting young people. Tony’s work ethic and ability to connect with people is special.”
Prior to UIC, Wills coached at Southern Illinois University.
