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Illinois signs Bielema to new deal through 2028
Illinois coach Bret Bielema, who this season directed the group to its greatest wins total given that 2007, has accepted a brand-new agreement through the 2028 season.Bielema, who is 13-11
in his second season at Illinois, will receive a yearly salary increase from $4.3 million this season to $6 million in the new contract, which is pending board approval in January. The brand-new offer includes yearly raises and bonus offers, consisting of a$500,000 annual retention. Bielema likewise is qualified for up to four one-year extensions if he meets certain efficiency criteria, not disclosed in Tuesday’s announcement.Bielema at first agreed to a six-year, $26.7 million handle Illinois in December 2020. After Illinois went 5-7 in Bielema’s very first season, the team started 7-1 this
fall and was close to winning the Big 10 West Department before dropping consecutive house games to Michigan State and Purdue. The group had 19 All-Big 10 choices, the most in program history.2 Related The Illini completed 8-4 and will play Mississippi State on Jan. 2 in the ReliaQuest Bowl, simply the team’s fifth postseason look given that reaching the 2008 Rose Bowl. “He has worked tirelessly, with an eye for information and remarkable competitive urgency, to set a new standard of excellence for Battling Illini football, “athletic director Josh Whitman stated in a statement.”Possibly most significantly, he has brought an immediate identity to our football program and represented the University of Illinois with class, humility, and confidence. I might not be more thrilled to continue partnering with Bret to elevate Illinois football into the championship-caliber program that we envision. “Bielema, 52, returned in 2020 to the Big 10, where he won 3 league titles and recorded five AP Top 25 finishes at Wisconsin. He left for Arkansas, going 29-34 before being fired in 2017. Bielema spent 2019 and 2020 as an NFL assistant, assisting the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl LIII title.Bielema, who is from Illinois and played protective line at Iowa, is 110-69 total as a college coach. He was named a semifinalist Tuesday for the George Munger National Coach of the Year award.
“Thanks to our outstanding coaches, personnel, and student-athletes, I am proud of the progress we have actually made in 2 years,”Bielema stated in a declaration.”I might not be more thrilled about where our program is going.
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