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After impressive stretch with Illinois, Brad Underwood is getting his flowers

It has been a pretty incredible run at Illinois, and now Brad Underwood is getting the love he deserves.
ByRees Woodcock|
Nov 23, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood during the first half against the Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood during the first half against the Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Josh Whitman had a busy Tuesday, as he not only secured the future of the football program, but Illinois basketball is also locking up its coach.

Brad Underwood has done wonders with the Illini since becoming the head coach back in 2017. A program that was once just hoping to crack the bubble has put some impressive runs together and has been on the recruiting forefront for over half a decade now.

On Tuesday, Illinois’ head coach was secured a little longer. Illinois announced that it had agreed to an extension for Underwood. The new contract will run through 2031. Underwood will start out at $4.4 million with the potential to earn much more through incentives and other bonuses.

Illinois basketball success under Brad Underwood has rarely been seen in Champaign

It isn’t hyperbole when I say that Underwood is one of the greatest coaches Illinois has had in program history. When you look back at the records, he can hold his own.

No Illini coach has won a national championship. There have been a couple of Final 4s in there, and a title appearance, but is anyone really putting Bruce Weber in the mix for the best coach? While I like Weber and he isn’t a bad coach, I think a turtle could have led that Illinois team to a championship appearance.

Underwood would have six straight NCAA tournament appearances if it weren’t for a worldwide pandemic. In that stretch, Illinois has a run to the Elite 8, two Big Ten Tournament titles, and a Big Ten regular season crown.

That is a pretty impressive stretch considering that before he took the job, Illinois had missed four straight NCAA tournaments and five out of the last six. This program was in a dark place, and Underwood was a bright ray of light.

I haven't even mentioned the fact that Underwood, an old-school coach, didn’t miss a beat when Name, Imagine, and Likeness were thrown into the mix. He took that challenge head-on, and now Illinois is a much better program for it.

Underwood is a really good coach who knows how to run a program. The extension on Tuesday is well-earned, and something tells me it won’t be his last extension in Champaign.

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