​CHAMPAIGN — Greg Cohen readily acknowledges the task of succeeding Scott Davis as Champaign Central’s boys’ tennis coach, but he’s every bit as energized about the potential ahead for the Maroons. “This is the best program I’ve walked into,” Cohen said. He earned The News-Gazette’s 2026 boys’ tennis Coach of the Year honors after guiding St. Thomas More to a sectional title and a tie for 11th in the Class 1A state tournament, a track record that underscores his confidence in Central’s trajectory.
Cohen’s interest in the Maroons runs partly from his public-school background. He played at Rock Island and graduated in 1981, then taught and coached at Warren Township for 32 years before retiring in 2019. His coaching path began at Central while he was a student at the University of Illinois, volunteering with the Maroons’ tennis team, then spending three years coaching Urbana’s tennis and basketball programs. “I loved working for (STM athletic director John) Delaney,” Cohen recalled. “He was great to work for. It just wasn’t a real comfortable fit for me because of the public school background I have.” He had contemplated volunteering at Centennial or Mahomet-Seymour depending on how things unfolded, and then learned that Davis would be retiring.
Davis has already proven to be a valuable resource for Cohen, who is nearly finished with the onboarding process. “I know that he was very, very popular,” Cohen noted, mentioning they had lunch together in early July. “He is one of the nicest people that you can meet.” Ensuring Davis feels welcome to drop by Spalding Park remains a priority. Davis will be registered as a volunteer coach in case he wants to share further insights after 42 years of coaching various Central teams. “I want him to feel free to come back and be part of this,” Cohen said. “I want the kids to see him. If he comes by for a meet, because he’s going to be registered as a coach, to be able to talk to the kids during the match.”
Cohen already envisions several enhancements for Central’s program, including a new shed at Spalding Park for players’ equipment, a ring of honor to recognize former Maroons, and a summer camp to sharpen skills. His plan for the first summer with the Maroons includes a camp that would run from July 14 to Aug. 6, culminating in an intra-squad tournament. He envisions additional camps down the line. “I’ll reach out to the middle schools and offer free lessons to any boy in third through eighth grade,” Cohen said. “Hopefully we’ll get them into a fall camp and be able to run a fall tennis camp for middle school kids. It helps get kids excited and going.” He also hopes to fill players’ closets with Central tennis gear as part of building program pride and identity.