Inside Brad Underwood's new deal following March Madness run at Illinois

Inside Brad Underwood's new deal following March Madness run at Illinois originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

After a deep March Madness run, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood is getting a new deal. Underwood has received an extension through the 2031-32 season, which could be extended through 2035-36 based on the team's performance over the next four years. The announcement came on Thursday, just six weeks after the Illini's season ended with its first NCAA Final Four appearance in over 20 years.

During the 2025-2026 campaign, Underwood led Illinois to a 29-8 record, finishing in a three-way tie for second in the Big Ten. That was also the fourth-most wins in program history. Their success continued during the NCAA tournament, where they made a habit of busting brackets.

Underwood's team won each of its first four tournament games by double digits. Their run ended against UConn in the semifinals. While the Huskies did not win a championship, they did advance to the national title game.

For Underwood, the focus is now on making an even deeper run next March. Illinois is set to welcome a talented recruiting class to campus in a few months that will be headlined by five-star recruit Quentin Coleman. He will be joined by four-star prospects, Lucas Morillo and Zavier Zens. That group has created excitement for what the future holds.

Although Illinois season came to an end in heartbreaking fashion, Underwood has received a lot of praise for what he accomplished. That was on display on Thursday when Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman announced Underwood's new deal.

"Thanks to Brad Underwood's tireless leadership and relentless pursuit of championships, our men's basketball program has established itself as one of the nation's premier programs while rewriting much of our record book," Whitman told ESPN. "He has revitalized a proud fanbase and elevated our program to new heights while competing in the most dynamic, high-stakes environment in college sports history."

While expectations are higher than ever, Underwood is ready to tackle the challenge. He showed during an unforgettable March Madness run why he is the right person to lead the program.