Christopher Sykes enters his second season as head men's and women's swimming coach at Illinois College.

Sykes, a native of Algonquin, earned a bachelor’s degree from Millikin University in 2011. He was a standout member of the swimming team at Millikin, earning four varsity letters. He has previously served as an assistant coach of the Decatur Swim Club, a volunteer coach at the Area 10 Special Olympics, and assistant coach of the Dundee Dolphins, a park district team in Carpentersville. Sykes served as an assistant swimming and assistant volleyball coach at Illinois College before becoming head men’s and women’s swimming coach. In his first year as head coach, Sykes led Illinois College’s swimming teams to their best conference finishes since the revival of the team. His student-athletes set a multitude of team and individual records during the 2012-2013 season

Sykes and his wife, Emily, reside in Jacksonville with their son, Liam.