Shauna Green quickly proved herself at Illinois and the legend is getting rewarded

The women’s Illinois basketball program is in the best place, arguably, in program history.

Shauna Green’s time in Champaign hasn’t had a single letdown, let alone a losing season. She has shot life into what was a zombie of a program, and now she is getting rewarded in a big way.

On Thursday afternoon, Illinois put out a press release that revealed that Green is staying at Illinois for a long time. She has agreed to an extension, which secures her as the coach of the Orange and Blue through June 30, 2032. The press release also states the contract extension could run through 2036 based on team performance.

Illinois athletic direction Josh Whitman had a glowing review of Green and her time at Illinois thus far.

"In four seasons at the helm,  has completely transformed Fighting Illini Women's Basketball," Whitman said. "Her commitment to her team's daily growth on the court, in the classroom, and in the community reflects the vision and values Shauna instills in our program. Shauna has been relentless in her pursuit of excellence while also embracing our University, our community, and our fans. We are grateful for her trust and belief in the bright future of Illinois Women's Basketball, and we are pleased to amend her contract and secure her long-term leadership of the program."

This is a great move by Whiteman and the University of Illinois. No one used to care about the women’s program, or if they did, the caring would end after about 10 games each season, when we all saw the writing on the wall.

Green changed everything. In four seasons, she has 39 Big Ten wins. In the 12 seasons prior to her getting hired, Illinois had a total of 36 victories in the conference. She has also accounted for three of the top five winningest seasons in program history.

Illinois has also seen the postseason under Green. The last time we went dancing was in 2003. Green was hired, and Illinois has now made the NCAA tournament in three of the last four seasons.

Don’t sleep on the possibility we are watching the G.O.A.T of the women’s Illinois basketball program

If you have ever read things I write, you know that I have some hyperbole in my writing at times. I can get excited about something and then slightly exaggerate the magnitude. I know my flaws.

In this case, this isn’t hyperbole when I say Green might be the greatest women’s Illinois basketball coach in program history.

If Green stopped coaching today, she would hold the best winning percentage out of the eight coaches in the 44 years the program has been around. She has coached the 7th most games in program history, but she has the 2nd most wins.

We are looking at a legend when it comes to Green. You can make an argument that she is already the best coach in the history of the women’s program. Maybe, just maybe, she can get in the conversation for the greatest coach of any Illinois program one day. She now has more time.

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