Illinois to extend coach Underwood through 2027-28

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood is set to receive a six-year contract extension through the 2027-28 campaign, athletic director Josh Whitman announced Wednesday.

Underwood's deal is pending the approval of the school's board of trustees at its meeting in May. He'll earn $29 million over the course of the extension, sources told CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.

The 58-year-old arrived in Champaign five years ago after previous head coaching stints with Stephen F. Austin and Oklahoma State.

Underwood holds a 94-66 overall record and has guided the Fighting Illini to the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons. Illinois won the Big Ten Tournament and was ranked as high as No. 2 in the AP Poll during the 2020-21 campaign. The school was eliminated from the Big Dance earlier this month in the Round of 32.

"Brad Underwood has led a remarkable resurgence of our men's basketball program," said Whitman in a statement. "Under his strong leadership, we have won Big Ten championships, posted one of the best three-year runs in the history of Fighting Illini men's basketball and the Big Ten Conference, and re-established ourselves on the national stage.