After an impressive season for the Illinois Fighting Illini football program, Illinois has locked in Bret Bielema for a long-term deal. This comes at the same time that Illinois is locking in their men’s basketball coach, Brad Underwood, to a long-term deal too, with both contracts ending the same year.
Bielema’s contract is expected to run through the 2031 college football season. This means that Illinois could have six more years with Bielema, should everything go according to plan. Bielema’s salary is set to increase to $7.7 million to start his six-year deal.
Illinois Secures Long-Term Commitment for Bret Bielema
The University of Illinois has announced a contract extension for head football coach Bielema, retaining his leadership through the 2030-31 season. This comes following an impressive 2024-25 campaign.
The Illinois football program put together a very strong run through the 2024 season. They finished with 10 wins and just three losses, defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Citrus Bowl. It was easily the best year of Bielema’s tenure, as he rebuilt the program. The hype continues to build around the Illinois football program for this upcoming season.
At $7.7 million, Bielema’s salary will rank eighth amongst Big Ten coaches. It’s just behind Washington’s Jedd Fisch, according to the On3 Sports Coach Salaries Index. It’s a big increase from the $6.65 million that Bielema made as a part of his previous contract.
For Bielema, the retention incentives would start at $700,000 and increase each year. For Underwood, they would begin 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 Ten play. The Illini matched a school record for wins in 2024 when they went 10-3. They became just the fifth team in the program’s 133 years to reach double-digit victories.
“I want to thank Bret for his exceptional leadership and bold vision for the future of Fighting Illini Football,” Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman said in a statement. “I am grateful to Bret and Jen for their trust in our program and their long-term commitment to the University of Illinois. Under Bret’s guidance, our program has gained national relevance and is steadily rewriting the Illinois record books.”
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“As a former player, it is a privilege to partner with him to develop and execute a plan aimed at achieving sustained success. The future of our program has never been brighter. I value Bret’s friendship and look forward to accelerating our upward trajectory in the years to come.”
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