Head Coach Brad Underwood has agreed to a contract extension with the Illinois Fighting Illini through the 2027-28 season. This move comes after the team was eliminated early in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament by the Houston Cougars. Despite that Underwood has turned the program around in a short time and has had them competing near the top of the Big Ten for a few years now. Sucess like that typically gets rewarded with programs.
Illinois’ Brad Underwood has received a contract extension through the 2027-28 season, per release.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 30, 2022
In five seasons with the Illinois Fighting Illini, Brad Underwood has coached the team to an overall record of 94-66 with a Big Ten record of 55-43. He has made the NCAA Tournament twice and was eliminated in the second round both times. It is likely the team would have made it a third time had the 2020 NCAA Tournament not been canceled due to COVID-19. The team has won the Big Ten regular-season championship and the Big Ten Conference Tournament Championship once each with Underwood at the helm. For now, the program is trending in the right direction.
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— Illinois Basketball (@IlliniMBB) March 30, 2022
With the recruits coming into the program the goal is to eventually make it to the Final Four and win an NCAA Tournament Championship. The program has signaled that they trust Brad Underwood to eventually get the program there. Recruiting talent has not been the problem there, but getting out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament has been. Reaching at least the Sweet Sixteen is a must for a program that has larger aspirations in the future.
