Kris Powell enters his fourth season as Illinois Institute of Technology head tennis coach for 2024-2025.
During Powell’s debut season in 2021-2022, he led both the Men’s and Women’s Tennis program’s to their respective NACC (Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference) Championship match.
On the men’s side, the Hawks defeated the Concordia University Wisconsin Falcons 5-2 to claim the programs third consecutive program championship. The Hawks went on to compete in the 2022 DIII Men’s Tennis Tournament where they defeated the Greenville University Panthers 5-3 in the first round before falling to the University of Chicago Maroons in the second round.
On the women’s side, the Hawks defeated the Edgewood College Eagles 5-2 to claim the programs first NACC Championship as well as a berth in the NCAA tournament. In the 2022 NCAA DIII Women’s Tennis Tournament, the Hawks were defeated by the Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks in the first round.
Powell helped lead the way in returning the Men’s Tennis Program to the NACC Championship match in 2023. In 2024, Powell led the Men’s tennis team to win another NACC Championship, defeating the MSOE Raiders 5-0 as well as a berth in the NCAA tournament. In the 2024 NCAA DIII Men’s tournament, the Hawks defeated the Rose-Hulman Fighting Engineers 5-3 to advance to the second round before falling to the former champions, Case Western.
Powell has been named the NACC Coach of the Year three consecutive years for the men's program in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Powell came to Illinois Tech after six seasons as assistant men's and women's tennis coach at University of Chicago. The Maroons men's and women's tennis programs combined for a 163-46 record over Powell's six seasons as assistant coach; which resulted in 32 All-American selections, three NCAA semifinal appearances, and seven NCAA quarterfinal bids. While at UChicago in 2018, Powell was named the ITA NCAA Men’s Assistant Coach of the Year.
Prior to his stint at University of Chicago, Powell was a tennis pro at the Peachtree Tennis Center in Peachtree, Georgia. He is also a coach at the Scarlet Hawks' home complex, the XS Tennis Center.
Powell graduated from NCAA Division I Prairie View A&M in 2013, where he was a member of the men's tennis team. He led the Panthers to two Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Men's Tennis Championships, and an appearance in the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championship.
