The Illinois football team did not receive enough votes to remain in the polls after last weekend’s loss to Iowa, but head coach Ron Zook may receive a few more votes midweek.

The Board of Trustees will vote Wednesday and is expected to extend head coach Ron Zook’s contract. The proposal extends the contract three years through the 2012 season and increases the coach’s total salary from $1.055 million to $1.305 million.

“Our football program has made considerable progress under his leadership and we look forward to working with Coach Zook and his staff to continue building the program,” Athletic Director Ron Guenther said.

The proposal also recommends an additional $200,000 increase in Zook’s base salary if the Illini can qualify for their first bowl game since the 2002 Sugar Bowl.

“Obviously it’s not something we’re thinking about right now,” Zook said. “It makes you feel good. We feel like we’ve made progress. Like I said all along we still got a long way to go. This is where we want to be and I’m excited about the opportunity to be able to stay here.”

Zook replaced Ron Turner as head coach in December 2004 after serving as the head coach of the Florida Gators from 2002 to 2004.

In his first two full seasons Zook compiled a 4-19 overall record and went 1-15 in conference play. Seven games into his third season Zook has surpassed his previous two years’ combined victory total. The Illini sit 5-2 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play.

While at Illinois, he has signed back-to-back top-30 nationally ranked recruiting classes. Zook also recruited 22 of the 24 starters of the Gators’ 2007 National Championship team.

This season marks Zook’s 25th year of collegiate coaching and sixth as a head coach. Zook led the Gators to three consecutive bowl game appearances and won a share of the 2003 SEC East title. He began his coaching career in 1978, serving as a defensive backs coach for Murray State University.

No state funds will be used to increase the coach’s salary.

Daniel Johnson contributed to this report.