CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Mark Allen, who had been Illinois’ pitching coach for the last five seasons, has died. He was 49.

Illinois said in a statement Thursday that Allen died Wednesday, according to his family. Allen had spent much of the 2024 season on a health-related leave after disclosing that he had been diagnosed with cancer.

“Today is a difficult day for Illinois baseball,” Illini coach Dan Hartleb said in a statement. “Coach Allen was an exceptional leader, coach, husband, and father. He impacted the lives of so many players and coaches here at Illinois and all around the country. Mark will be dearly missed within our program and by his network of hundreds of former players that he continually stayed connected with. Our thoughts and prayers are with Angela, Skylar, Avery, and the Allen family.”

Ten of the pitchers Allen worked with at Illinois either got drafted or signed deals with major league organizations after their college careers. Last season, Illinois went 35-21 and made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.

Allen had joined Illinois’ staff after spending the 2019 season as the San Francisco Giants’ pitching coordinator, a role that had him overseeing the pitching development for all of the organization’s minor league teams. He also spent eight seasons working for Cleveland in a variety of roles, including as a scout, cross checker and assistant pitching coordinator.