Lake Forest College Head Women’s Basketball Coach Tamlyn Tills announced that she would resign from that position after the 2025-26 season. She will remain the head coach of the Forester women’s golf team.
“It has been an incredible privilege to coach at Lake Forest College for nearly two decades,” began Tills. “I’m deeply grateful to all of the players who gave their best to this program, to my assistant coaches who shared in every challenge and triumph, and to the College for its unwavering support. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together. Lake Forest College is a special place and one that I am proud to have been, and will continue to be a part of.”
Tills took over as the team’s head coach prior to the 2008-09 season and ranks second in program history with 169 victories overall and 132 in Midwest Conference play. She led the Foresters to the four-team MWC Tournament four times and they reached the event’s final in 2019.
Under the direction of Tills, at least one Forester has been named All-MWC in 14 of 16 full seasons and Katie Neher was named MWC Player of the Year in 2022-23. Neher is also one of four players to reach 1,000 career points since Tills took over as head coach, a list that includes Sam Schuring, Kelsey Burton, and 2025 Forester Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Lisa Nassin. In addition, a program record 10 of her players earned Academic All-MWC accolades in 2024-25, giving the team 98 such honors under her direction.
Lake Forest players have broken or tied 37 school records in the last 17 years, including a 116-point game, a player making eight three-pointers in a single contest, and the highest field goal percentage for a Forester in a game and career.
Prior to coming to the College, Tills was the head coach at Concordia University Chicago for six seasons, Loras College for three, and Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota, for four. She now has 305 victories as a collegiate head coach.
Tills was also an NCAA Division I assistant coach at Marquette University and California State University-Fullerton and has experience at the professional level as well, having worked in the front office of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. Her coaching career began at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she was the athletic director and volleyball and basketball coach.
“Tam’s career at Lake Forest has been defined by excellence, consistency, and care,” commented Lake Forest College Assistant Vice President for Athletics Jim Catanzaro. “She has not only overseen competitive basketball and golf programs, but has also developed generations of Foresters who represent the College’s values with pride and integrity. Her influence will continue to be felt long after her final game on the sidelines.”
A search for her replacement will begin immediately after the season.
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