Brad Underwood Compensation ... 6 yrs $19.2 million
- Thread starter Max_Power
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Where does that put him on the list of Big Ten coaches? Would guess, near the top. Thinking a bit overpaid, maybe.
Seems obscene for his HC experience and significant but non-extraordinary accomplishments.
Per USAT, the B1G highest-paid BkB HC is MSU's Izzo at just over $4 MM (including some extras).
Next was Indy's Crean just slightly over $3 MM.
Michigan is under $3 MM, and PU and Mary under $2.5MM. Everyone else is even lower. Underwood may be the B1G 2nd-highest paid BkB HC.
Indy may potentially top that, though.
Seems obscene for his HC experience and significant but non-extraordinary accomplishments.
Per USAT, the B1G highest-paid BkB HC is MSU's Izzo at just over $4 MM (including some extras).
Next was Indy's Crean just slightly over $3 MM.
Michigan is under $3 MM, and PU and Mary under $2.5MM. Everyone else is even lower. Underwood may be the B1G 2nd-highest paid BkB HC.
Indy may potentially top that, though. Wow Illinois must really be flush. Thought the state colleges were hurting for cash, since our pretend governor can't seem to get a budget passed. Guess it's ok to get rid of a professor or two and cut back on student aid but 19 million for a untested basketball coach is fine. Noticed that the contract needs to be approved by BOT, so maybe they will come to their senses.
The state of Illinois is in sound financial condition, this is a mere drop in the bucket!
You do realize that this is just soaking the boosters. F^ck them. Piss away their money.
Here would be my problem with this hire if I gave a spit about the Illini.
Does anybody think for a second this guy wouldn't be available in two weeks? He's recruited as a head coach at a P5 level for one year. In the meantime, you have FAR more established coaches supposedly in play at a similar salary level that could be woo'd by the Illinois' overpay.
Like the last two hires, the administration(s) have driven down the value of that program more and more. But we'll just go with the company line that this is an incredible hire for a historic program.
No panic in this hire whatsoever.
Does anybody think for a second this guy wouldn't be available in two weeks? He's recruited as a head coach at a P5 level for one year. In the meantime, you have FAR more established coaches supposedly in play at a similar salary level that could be woo'd by the Illinois' overpay.
Like the last two hires, the administration(s) have driven down the value of that program more and more. But we'll just go with the company line that this is an incredible hire for a historic program.
No panic in this hire whatsoever.
If you count the interim guy who's blowing through the NIT, then they're paying 3 right now.
I realize that but somewhere down the road the bucket will dry up. No bowl appearances and not making the NCAA tourney will do that.
We don't have a great Rivals board, so I often might come across as a troll; I'm really not. I think it's ridiculous to call this decision "pathetic." We are finally spending like the flagship school of a state of 13 million, and it's a welcome change. We've always had the money (whether it's through our many boosters or added BTN revenue), yet until recently I'd say we had a reputation of being cheap. Illinois is probably the best all-time program without a title (and better than many with one) and given our many close misses ('42, '89, '05), that's the working goal for this program: to finally win one. Given the resources we enjoy (instate recruiting, pretty good tradition, large fan base, great facilities, huge media coverage), it should - in theory - be attainable. Brad Underwood (and Lovie, for that matter) might totally flame out, but we're never going to move the needle toward that goal if we don't pony up the cash to do so, and (regardless of whether or not you think they'd succeed) I think most would have laughed at the notion of Illinois hiring an NFL coach who'd been to the Super Bowl taking over an absolutely decimated program in football and a sitting power five coach at a program with solid tradition taking over our currently disappointing basketball program (though the cupboard will be far from bare) before Whitman could do both. Again, it might crash and burn, but when comparing to where we were after Mike Thomas being fired as AD, it's easy to see why Illini fans are excited. I know our "potential" is a direct threat to your success (and vice versa), so this likely can't be a civil conversation and I apologize for that reality; but from our perspective, we've demonstrated in relatively recent times that we can capitalize on that immense potential with the right leadership, and there's no reason we shouldn't aim to do it again. We might have the right leadership, we might not. I think we do.
With that said, you guys have plenty to be excited about yourselves, and I don't necessarily expect you to think anything of our excitement ... it just should be pretty understandable why your dismissive attitudes might rub Illini fans (especially older ones) the wrong way ... then again, we might owe you for decades of doing the same.
Peace!
We don't have a great Rivals board, so I often might come across as a troll; I'm really not. I think it's ridiculous to call this decision "pathetic." We are finally spending like the flagship school of a state of 13 million, and it's a welcome change. We've always had the money (whether it's through our many boosters or added BTN revenue), yet until recently I'd say we had a reputation of being cheap. Illinois is probably the best all-time program without a title (and better than many with one) and given our many close misses ('42, '89, '05), that's the working goal for this program: to finally win one. Given the resources we enjoy (instate recruiting, pretty good tradition, large fan base, great facilities, huge media coverage), it should - in theory - be attainable. Brad Underwood (and Lovie, for that matter) might totally flame out, but we're never going to move the needle toward that goal if we don't pony up the cash to do so, and (regardless of whether or not you think they'd succeed) I think most would have laughed at the notion of Illinois hiring an NFL coach who'd been to the Super Bowl taking over an absolutely decimated program in football and a sitting power five coach at a program with solid tradition taking over our currently disappointing basketball program (though the cupboard will be far from bare) before Whitman could do both. Again, it might crash and burn, but when comparing to where we were after Mike Thomas being fired as AD, it's easy to see why Illini fans are excited. I know our "potential" is a direct threat to your success (and vice versa), so this likely can't be a civil conversation and I apologize for that reality; but from our perspective, we've demonstrated in relatively recent times that we can capitalize on that immense potential with the right leadership, and there's no reason we shouldn't aim to do it again. We might have the right leadership, we might not. I think we do.
With that said, you guys have plenty to be excited about yourselves, and I don't necessarily expect you to think anything of our excitement ... it just should be pretty understandable why your dismissive attitudes might rub Illini fans (especially older ones) the wrong way ... then again, we might owe you for decades of doing the same.
Peace!
Not intended as a troll or trying to be argumentative, rather I'm sincerely interested whether UoI fans see any issues with the integrity of a guy who claims to his OkSt players and fan base that he'll be "in the ground" before leaving the program, then just one week later without communicating with the AD, he accepts an offer from UoI? Look, I know I'm biased, but my reaction to this is that he has questionable character. For the record, I felt the same way about Barnett when he left NU for Colorado. The manner in which he did it caused me to question his character.
First everyone knew if Colorado came calling Barnett was a goner, not so for the guy from Okie St.. In fact I didn't see his name at or near the of Illinois or any power 5 programs wish list. The cash he is reportedly getting paid far exceeds his accomplishments. Time will tell but I'll take Collins every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
That is an interesting question. My answer is that -- buyouts are put into contracts to allow a way for a party to exit that contract. And it works both ways. When a buyout is exercised, that party is acting within the legitimate expectations of all concerned. So to coin a Tina Turner lyric, "What's integrity got to do with it?"
Integrity has a lot to do with it. You need to step into kids' homes and get them to believe in YOU. He jobbed those kids at OkSt that came to play for him. One year? Almost unprecedented. He's only about the money. Sorry, that just really bothers me.
I wasn't commenting on this particular hire. I hope he turns out to be good for the program. And I'd prefer to see IL competitive. I was just commenting on IL's track record (which has been pathetic) of picking coaches in both football and basketball the past decade. Tens of mllions of $ with not much to show for it. My opinion is that it's too long of a contract for a starter, but that's your AD's call.
Well, you won't get any argumentfrom me, or most Illinois fans, about the failings of our past 2 AD's in hiring for the 2 revenue sports. It's pretty self-evident. There is a lot of confidence that our new guy, Josh Whitman, will reverse that trend. We'll just have to wait and see. It would be fun if NU and Illinois both became top half of the conference teams in football and basketball.
That's one view. A more cynical one is that they're put in place to make it more painful to exit the contract. I hold no opinion over which one applies here.
If it works, all will be forgiven. If it doesn't, it's going to really make it difficult for Underwood to get the next job, and other schools may not be too thrilled with Whitman. Emotions aside, Whitman pushed his chips into the middle of the table with this one. He had better hope it works out.
This is a sign of the new TV money coming into the conference. Haven't seen many coaching hires recently aside from Collins and the guy at Rutgers. I guess there's also Pitino and Gard, but those weren't top level hires where there was any kind of real national search. The top of the league has been pretty stable with Izzo, Beilein, Matta, Turgeon, Painter, etc. Now that IU is looking we'll see where they fit in. I expect during the next round of turnover where maybe Beilein retires, maybe Matta ( health problems), this contract won't look all that outrageous.
And also Illinois didn't want to make the mistake OSU did and underpay their coach.
As for whether this was a "panic" hire, I do think IU moving on from Crean may have accelerated the decision. Might have preferred to wait another week or so and make a run at Marshall, Mack or Bennett, but with IU looking, our AD may have decided it wasn't worth the risk.
And also Illinois didn't want to make the mistake OSU did and underpay their coach.
As for whether this was a "panic" hire, I do think IU moving on from Crean may have accelerated the decision. Might have preferred to wait another week or so and make a run at Marshall, Mack or Bennett, but with IU looking, our AD may have decided it wasn't worth the risk.