The men's and women's tennis programs will be adding a pair of part-time assistant coaches to its staff for the 2025-26 season, as recent letterwinner and 2025 Shawnee State graduate Antonia Ilea, along with a new face in Ashland, Ky.'s Cameron Brown, will be joining the Shawnee State staff in those roles. The hires were made official in August.

"Joining Shawnee State as an assistant coach means a lot to me," Ilea said. "It's a chance to give back to the program that shaped me, and to help our players grow not just as athletes, but as people."
I started playing tennis when I was a kid, and it quickly became more than just a sport, it became my passion. Growing up, my experience was full of hard work, discipline, and unforgettable moments that taught me resilience and joy through competition, so I'm thrilled to be able to guide and mold our student-athletes as they look to blaze their own trail."

"Joining the Shawnee State tennis program as an assistant coach means the world to me," Brown said. "I had never imagined getting into the coaching side of tennis this early, let alone at this level. I'm super thrilled to be on board and ready to give my all to this growing program. I'm committed to doing anything I can to help this team grow, and look forward to representing Shawnee State."

While on the same staff, both Brown and Ilea paved their own unique and different ways toward becoming assistant coaches.

Growing up in Spain, Ilea, who started playing tennis as a young adolescent, worked her way into an opportunity to play the sport in America, ultimately becoming a top-three singles player and a No. 2 doubles talent for Iowa Central Community College before earning an opportunity to play at Shawnee State. Ilea ultimately became the team's No. 1 singles player and a member of the squad's No. 1 doubles unit as a senior, ultimately earning Third-Team All-River States Conference honors as a senior.

"Playing collegiate tennis at Shawnee State helped me grow tremendously," Ilea said. "I learned accountability, teamwork, and how to push myself beyond limits I thought I had. Coaching came naturally because I wanted to share the lessons tennis gave me and help others achieve their goals both on and off the court."

Brown also began playing the sport of tennis as an adolescent -- but the similarities ended there.

Playing tennis at Ashland from the eighth through 12th grades, Brown won the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) 16th Region Doubles Championship as a junior in high school alongside fellow teammate Ethan Sellars on May 20, 2021.

The win in that tournament was extra special, and emotional. Just 13 days prior to his regional championship triumph, Brown lost his mother, Brenda, in a fatal accident where Brown's mother was struck by a pickup truck that lost control and crashed into the entrance of a Leitchfield, Ky. gas station, according to the Ashland Daily Independent.

"She was my greatest supporter," Brown said at the time of his regional championship win in doubles. "She was always there cheering for me and everything. It will bring some happiness for me, and I want to keep those memories alive."

For Brown, playing tennis at Ashland -- and tennis, in general -- proved to be transformative for his own path in life.

"I played tennis for Ashland for five years," Brown said. "It was a great experience for me, and easily created some of the most meaningful years of my life. It taught me the importance of communication, time management, and learning to work together as a team. It set foundational examples for me as a player and as a person, and only deepened my love for the game. The impact that past coaches and mentors have had on me motivated me to get into coaching in return. They have believed in me and helped me grow on and off the court, and being able to hopefully have that same impact on players someday is something super valuable and inspiring to me. I want to be able to give back, and as a young person myself, I know firsthand just how important it is to have someone who believes in you, pushes you to be your best, and helps you navigate not only your sport, but also life itself."

Both Brown and Ilea are equally thankful for Shawnee State second-year men's and women's tennis head coach Greg Geremia, whom they say has been critical in each of their developments as individuals.

"I met Greg for the first time in 2017 at the Ashland Tennis Center, so we've known each other about eight years now," Brown said. "Just putting that into words is crazy and makes me feel even more blessed to be able to coach alongside him all this time later. Greg definitely means a lot to me. He has always been in my corner and has become a valuable mentor and friend to me through the years. Through passion, patience, and determination, Greg has helped shape me into who I am today. No matter what, Greg has encouraged me and believed in me; not only as a tennis player but as a person also, even when I didn't believe in myself; and I'm forever grateful for him."

"Greg has been an incredible mentor," Ilea said. "He's taught me not only about the game, but about leadership, patience, and always keeping the team's best interest at heart. Greg believed in me when I didn't believe in myself, and that's something I carry with me every day."

Now, both are looking to inspire the next set of tennis athletes that are coming through the ranks at Shawnee State.

"At Shawnee State, I hope to build a strong, competitive program, foster a family-like culture, and leave a positive impact on every player that comes through."

"What I hope to accomplish at Shawnee State during my time on the tennis program sits well in a quote I heard from the show Ted Lasso, and it says, 'For me, success is not about the wins and the losses, it's about helping these young players be the best versions of themselves on and off the field,'" Brown said. "To me, being a part of this program isn't just about winning, but about creating a positive environment of comfortability and trust for my team. I know exactly how stressful balancing school, sports, work, and life can become, and I believe my age helps me understand that even more since I currently deal with it myself. It's incredibly important to me to become someone my team can trust and come to about anything they're going through -- on or off the court. I don't want to be just a coach; I want to be someone who listens and encourages my players throughout their journey of life. Everyone faces challenges, and I want them to know I'll always be in their corner to support them. At the end of the day the biggest thing I hope to accomplish in this program is being there for my team. To help them grow on and off the court as players and as people, and to celebrate their successes big or small. All of this is something I take very deeply to heart, and it's a role I'm committed to everyday."

In addition to the duo, the Shawnee State men's and women's tennis programs have also brought on Shashank Reddy as a volunteer assistant. Reddy, who was ranked as a four-star recruit out of Mason High School just north of Cincinnati, signed to play NCAA Division I tennis at Xavier after finishing his senior campaign ranked fourth in Ohio. Reddy, a First-Team All-Greater Miami Conference honoree, won back-to-back state championships at Mason.

For more information on the Shawnee State men's and women's tennis programs, visit https://ssubears.com/sports/mens-tennis, https://ssubears.com/sports/womens-tennis or follow Shawnee State men's and women's tennis at https://www.instagram.com/ssu_bears_tennis/.