Illinois men’s basketball head coach Brad Underwood is set to stay in Champaign for six more years. Underwood’s agreement to the contract extension was announced Tuesday by Athletic Director Josh Whitman. It will keep him in Champaign through the 2030-31 season with a starting salary of $4.4 million.
“Since Brad’s arrival, he has rebuilt our proud program and reestablished Illinois as a perennial contender for the Big Ten championship and a regular presence in the NCAA Tournament,” Whitman said in a press release. “Against the backdrop of intense change transforming college athletics, he holds steadfast to his core values while continuing to evolve and adapt his program to compete at the highest level. Brad has become a trusted friend, and I look forward to partnering with him to realize the full potential of our men’s basketball program in the years ahead.”
Underwood has led the Illini to new heights since becoming head coach in 2017. He coached Illinois to Big Ten tournament titles in 2021 and 2024 and won the 2022 Big Ten regular season crown. Underwood has helped the Illini reach five straight NCAA tournaments, most notably leading the 2023-24 squad to their first Elite Eight appearance in nearly 20 years.
As Whitman mentioned, Underwood has also been able to adapt to the changing landscape of college athletics, helping recruit five-star prospect Will Riley last season and utilizing his large NIL budget to retain key pieces ahead of next season, namely junior center Tomislav Ivišić and senior guard Kylan Boswell.
Underwood and his coaching staff developed strong ties overseas and have been on a very strong European recruitment path ahead of the upcoming season. The Illini brought in NBA-bound guard Kasparas Jakučionis and Ivišić last season, and they have four new European players set to join the roster for the 2025-26 campaign.
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“On behalf of my wife Susan and our entire family, a sincere thank you to all who make Illinois such a special place,” Underwood said. “We have tremendous alignment here, starting with our outstanding athletic director Josh Whitman and from the University administration and Board of Trustees. That foundation created the environment where — led by all the tremendous players we’ve had along with a group of talented assistant coaches and a dedicated staff — we have been able to achieve success. I want to thank everyone who has been part of our program for their buy-in and commitment to winning.”
While Underwood has agreed to the contract, it still needs to be formally approved at the University’s Board of Trustees meeting on May 22.
