SIUE Hall of Fame Tennis Coach Kent DeMars Dies

EDWARDSVILLE – SIUE Athletics mourns the passing of Hall of Fame tennis coach Kent DeMars, who passed away Thursday, according to family. He was 82 years old.

DeMars transformed the SIUE men's tennis program from club status to national powerhouse, coaching the Cougars to seven consecutive national championships from 1978-1984.

"Kent built SIUE tennis into a national power that saw championship-level success," SIUE women's tennis Head Coach Adam Albertsen said. "Beyond the trophies and the wins, his ability to impact student-athletes on and off the court will always be remembered."

DeMars coached players who earned 56 All-American certificates from 1974 to 1984. Three different players won NCAA Division II singles titles from 1977 to 1983. Four different doubles teams earned national titles from 1979 to 1984.

"Kent was my friend as well as my mentor," SIUE Hall of Fame tennis coach Bob Meyers said. "Having the experience of coaching, running camps and fundraising events with Kent helped to foster my long love and success in tennis, coaching and teaching."

From 1984-2010 DeMars was the head coach at South Carolina, guiding the Gamecocks to 18 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 13 consecutive appearances from 1994-2006.

DeMars was inducted into the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006. He was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. He was elected to the St. Louis Tennis Hall of Fame in 2024.

A memorial service celebrating Kent's life will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at the University of South Carolina's Rutledge Chapel, 902 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Still Hopes Chaplain Discretionary Fund, for the benefit of the employees and caregivers. Online donations can be made here, or checks can be made out to "Chaplain's Discretionary Fund" and mailed to PO Box 2959 West Columbia, SC 29179.

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