Brad Underwood waited 26 years for a Division I job. Now in Year 39, he has Illinois in Final Four
Illinois’ Brad Underwood coached for 26 years before landing his first Division I head coaching job. Now in Year 39, the well-traveled 62-year-old is finally heading to the Final Four, where the Fighting Illini meet UConn on Saturday. In 2013 while in that first DI head coaching job at Stephen F.
Austin, he told his administrative assistant about his ambition to coach the Fighting Illini one day.
Illinois’ Brad Underwood coached for 26 years before landing his first Division I head coaching job. Now in Year 39, the well-traveled 62-year-old is finally heading to the Final Four , where the Fighting Illini meet UConn on Saturday. He’s doing it in what he’s long referred to as his dream job.
In 2013 while in that first DI head coaching job at Stephen F. Austin, he told his administrative assistant about his ambition to coach the Fighting Illini one day. And she wrote it down.
When he was named Illinois coach in 2017, she presented him with that meaningful piece of paper containing his intention to lead this team. In the place he always wanted to be, Underwood has the Fighting Illini in the Final Four for the first time since 2005, trying to bring home a first national title. “I’ve been fortunate to be around great mentors, great coaches,” he said.
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