Illinois hands Bielema, Underwood 6-year deals

Might 13, 2025, 09:46 PM ET Illinois has actually locked in its football and men’s basketball coaches for the long term, accepting six-year agreements with Bret Bielema and Brad Underwood.Illinois rewarded Bielema for turning around its having a hard time football program, and Underwood for an eight-year run that consists of 5 NCAA Tournament appearances and a journey to the Elite 8. Both offers were announced Tuesday.Bielema’s deal goes through 2030, while Underwood is secured through the 2030-31

season. The contracts are pending approval by the university’s board of trustees on May 22. Bielema’s annual wage would start at$ 7.7 million, while Underwood’s would start at $4.4 million

. Both coaches would be eligible for 4 1 year extensions if performance benchmarks are satisfied, along with yearly retention rewards starting next July 1. For Bielema, the retention rewards would begin at $700,000 and increase each year. For Underwood, they would start at

$1.15 million.In four seasons in Champaign, Bielema has led Illinois to a 28-22 record and an 18-18 mark in Big 10 play. The Illini matched a school record for wins in 2024 when they went 10-3. They beat South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl and ended up being just the fifth team in the program’s 133 years to reach double-digit triumphes. “Over the last 4 seasons, our program has actually been constructed on hard, clever, reputable people in every aspect: from our players, to our coaches and personnel, to our administration,”Bielema said in a statement.”I am fortunate to work every day with an athletic director that fully believes in our football program and a coaching staff that fully thinks in our players.” Underwood praised his program’s”positioning “with athletic director Josh Whitman, the administration and trustees. Bret Bielema led Illinois to a 10-3 season and a win in the Citrus Bowl in 2024. James Black/Icon Sportswire”That foundation produced the environment where– led by all the incredible players we’ve had in addition to a group of talented assistant coaches and a dedicated staff– we

have been able to achieve success,”he said.Bielema, who led Wisconsin to 3 Rose Bowls before a frustrating perform at Arkansas, replaced the fired Lovie Smith after the 2020 season. He got a six-year agreement at the time with an income starting at$4.2 million to go back to the Big 10 and his home state.Illinois had nine straight losing seasons before Bielema was employed. The Illini went 5-7 in his very first year before winning 8 games in 2022. They went 5-7 in 2023 before bouncing back last year.Illinois won 10 games for the very first time because 2001 and were ranked by the College Football Playoff choice committee a program-record 4 straight weeks, while appearing in the AP survey 11 times, completing at No. 16. Underwood is 165-101 total at Illinois and 92-66 in Huge 10 play, with three league championships. He and Lou Henson are the only Illini coaches with at least 5 successive NCAA Tournament appearances. Illinois was also on track to make the 2020 competition that was canceled due to the fact that of

the Covid-19 pandemic.The Illini won 22 games last season after losing 5 starters and the leading eight scorers from a group that reached the Elite 8 in 2024. Underwood has a 274-128 record in 12 seasons as a head coach, including three at Stephen F. Austin and one at Oklahoma State.