In Memoriam: Greg Dillard of Carrier Mills, IL

Greg passed today. He was my best friend and table tennis coach since 1977. He used to compete in tournaments, but preferred to coach. He was the SIU Carbondale coach for over 25 years, beginning in 1986. ( A small write up on that can be found in The Daily Egyptian, 4-20-2014) I would estimate that he coached over 100 players, and never charged anyone. In fact, he would oftentimes give a newer player a nice blade, in hopes of encouraging them. Some of them came back to play, others didn't. He also loaned SIUC his Stiga tables in order to ensure that there would be enough available for all players, who numbered up to 15 at times. He would drive to SIUC twice a week, which was 40 minutes away. Sometimes he would bring and set up his robot. I met him in the summer of 1977. I could not begin to estimate the total number of hours that we played. He taught me how to coach, and I carried on his tradition for years. I have never met anyone else who was so enthusiastic about table tennis. He will be missed by many.

I am also a student of Greg. He coached me during my time at SIU Carbondale, dated back in 1995, and continued to help me with my game well after I left Carbondale. Through his coaching, I have become a much better player than before meeting him, and at one point broke the 2200 barrier. He simplified the elements of the game into four dimensions: “physical, technique, tactical, and mental”, and helped me improved in each of them. He created a number of drills with simulated set plays to plug holes in my game. He is amazing as a coach and friend, and is gentle as a person. A few pieces of his wisdoms about the game still live on in me, and I have been able to share them with some of my table tennis friends later on. My favorites are “control yourself before you can control the table”, “play your game and make the opponent play yours”, “90 mph shots in only 9-ft distance, you better practice a lot”, and “preparation won you the game before it even starts”. Greg continues to live on in my memory. Simply thank you!

I was one of Greg’s last students and I had the best time getting coached under him. He took my game from almost nothing to 1800 in such a short time. He would go out of his way and drive 2 hours just so I could get match experience. He’s taught me so many lessons that I can still hear him saying today. It’s hard to imagine that he’s not here with us today. I pray his soul rest in peace.

 I first met Greg in 2008 as an international student, and we had kept in touch since. Greg was always there at the SIUC tabletennis club every weekend- rain or shine, as long as the rec is open. One can see the sparkles in his eyes when talking about tabletennis. He would study new techniques from magazines or stay up late searching online as he understood the full of it, then pass them along with fundamentals to his players. You would be surprised to learn how much he knew in the world of tabletennis- a man from Carrier’s Mills in Southern Illinois. He also never took credit for the achievements of his players- turned amateurs to pros, led team to NCTTA championships, just to name a few. Perhaps most importantly, Greg injected enthusiasm for tabletennis into so many of his players- with endless encouragements, jokes and smiles.

To all those that knew Greg directly, I'm sorry for your loss. I didn't know him personally, but I have benefited from his teachings. One of his students took me under his wing when I started playing at my local club and he drastically sped up my learning curve by helping show me proper mechanics. He also opened my eyes to how much there is to learn about this game and how much fun it can be in the process.