Illinois has rewarded men’s basketball coach Brad Underwood for five consecutive NCAA Tournament berths and six straight 20-win seasons with a three-year contract extension that takes him through the 2030-31 season.Athletic director Josh Whitman announced Tuesday that Underwood’s new deal also boosts his salary to $4.4 million for the upcoming season. The extension, which must be approved by the school’s Board of Trustees on May 22, also features annual retention bonuses (starting with $1.15 million on July 1, 2026), a one-time signing bonus and multiple performance bonuses.The 61-year-old Underwood has produced a 165-101 record (.620) in eight years at Illinois. The Fighting Illini are one of four Division I schools that enter the 2025-26 season with at least six consecutive 20-win regular seasons.The Illini also have won two Big Ten tournament titles (2021 and 2024) and the 2022 Big Ten regular-season crown during Underwood’s tenure. The 2024 squad reached the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight – the program’s deepest run since the 2005 team played in the NCAA championship game.