FCA BANQUET

MARCH 9, 2027

6:30-8:30 PM

HORIZON CONVENTION CENTER

Coach Tim Cleland will begin his 69th season as head coach of Delta High School Tennis during the Spring 2027 girls’ tennis season. A 2008 inductee into the Indiana Tennis Hall of Fame and a 2024 honoree for the National HS Coaches Association Hall of Fame, he is the all-time winningest coach in Indiana HS Tennis history with 1,299 victories in boys’ and girls’ tennis.

With a career winning percentage of 84%, Coach Cleland has led his teams to 46 regional titles and 31 seasons with Top 10 state rankings. The Eagles have reached the State Finals 13 times in this single-class sport.

The year 2026 was an amazing year for Delta Tennis.  In Spring 2026, the Eagle girls reached the IHSAA Final Four before losing to No. 3 Carmel in a close match.  In Fall 2026, the Eagle boys took it one step further. They edged third-ranked Center Grove 3-2 to advance to the State Championship match for the first time ever. The Eagles lost to No. 1 ranked Hamilton Southeastern 1-4 to finish State Runner-Up.

Coach Cleland is a co-founder of the SmashCancer tennis match between Delta and Yorktown high schools. SmashCancer began in 2012 and annually raises money for local cancer organizations, including the Cancer Center at IU Health Ball, and other beneficiaries. The 2026 SmashCancer raised a record total of $26,000. The event has raised over $163,000 since its inception and is now the No. 1 single-game charity event in Indiana high school sports. 

Coach Cleland is a member of the Delaware County Athletic Hall of Fame. He was the initial recipient of the Muncie Sports Commission “Youth Development Champion Award” in 2024. The next year the award was renamed “The Tim Cleland Youth Development Champion Award" and is presented each year to someone who makes a large impact on our high school athletes.

He is a recipient of the Delaware County Person of Integrity Award from Muncie Committee for Integrity Enhancement.

A native of Columbus, Ind., he is a graduate of Ball State University, where he was a Whitinger Scholar. He spent 13 years as a professional sports writer, including stints as sports editor of The Muncie Evening Press and The Muncie Star-Press. For nearly 30 years, he has taught journalism classes at Delta High School. 

Coach Cleland is a member of Union Chapel church.