The Coaching Staff
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THE COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH BRAD UNDERWOOD . .12-14 ASSISTANT COACH ORLANDO ANTIGUA . 15 ASSISTANT COACH RON COLEMAN . 15 ASSISTANT COACH STEPHEN GENTRY . 16 ASSISTANT TO THE HEAD COACH GEOFF ALEXANDER . 16 STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH ADAM FLETCHER . 17 ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR JOEY BIGGS . 17 VIDEO COORDINATOR ZACH HAMER . 18 GRADUATE MANAGER KWA JONES . 18 GRADUATE MANAGER NEEL GANTA . 18 SENIOR ASSOCIATE AD, SPORT ADMINISTRATION BRIAN RUSSELL . 19 ASSOCIATE AD FOR ACADEMIC SERVICES STEPHEN FUQUA . 19 ATHLETIC TRAINER PAUL SCHMIDT . 19 DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE MEDIA KELSEA ANSFIELD . 19 OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR NICOLE ANDERSON . 19 DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS JOSH WHITMAN . 20 DIA ADMINISTRATION / SUPPORT STAFF . .21-22 ATHLETIC BOARD . 22 UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION . 23 BOARD OF TRUSTEES . 23 RICHMOND ENDOWMENT . 24 THE COACHING STAFF RICHMOND FAMILY ENDOWED MEN’S HEAD BASKETBALL COACH BRAD UNDERWOOD “I dream big. And I dream bigger. Winning a national championship is something that can happen here, and I want to be part of that. I want to help lead this progam to that.” –– Brad Underwood at his introductory press conference (March 20, 2017) Brad Underwood has reinvigorated the Illinois Basketball first Illini player in 10 years to earn first-team All-Big Ten program, bringing the Fighting Illini back to the national accolades. Kofi Cockburn was the team’s second-leading stage in just three years and carrying even higher scorer (13.3 ppg) and leading rebounder (8.8 rpg) en route expectations into his fourth season in Champaign. to being named 2020 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Underwood is the 18th head coach in Illinois history, hired Illinois was one of the most inexperienced teams in in March 2017 as the Richmond Family Endowed Men’s the country in 2019, with Underwood meshing seven Head Basketball Coach. He has won more than 67 percent newcomers into his 11-player rotation during his second THE UNDERWOOD FILE of his games through his first seven years as a Division season. Despite that youth, and facing the No. 3-ranked I head coach, recording five 20-win seasons and making regular season schedule by kenpom, the Illini doubled HOMETOWN their win total against conference foes, winning eight McPherson, Kan. four trips to the NCAA Tournament with a fifth appearance precluded by the cancellation of the 2020 postseason due games against Big Ten competitors. FAMILY to COVID-19. Wife, Susan The Illini recorded nine wins against teams rated in the Son, Tyler; Daughters, Katie & Ashley Underwood directed Illinois to the largest turnaround top-80 (kenpom), with four victories coming against EDUCATION among schools from the six major conferences last eventual NCAA Tournament teams. The improvement was Kansas State University, season (+10.0), while standing seventh across all of Div. highlighted by marquee wins over two top-15 ranked B.S., Radio & TV Communications, 1986 I for most improved teams. Illinois was ranked for eight opponents. Illinois defeated No. 13 Maryland at Madison weeks, checking in at No. 21 in the final Associated Poll Square Garden and knocked off No. 9-ranked and eventual PLAYING EXPERIENCE Big Ten champion and Final Four participant Michigan 1983 Hardin-Simmons University to finish a season ranked in the Top 25 for the first time 1984 Independence Community College since 2006. State at home, leading to a court rush celebration by 1985-86 Kansas State University Orange Krush students at the buzzer. The Illini recorded 21 victories during the regular season COACHING EXPERIENCE and won 13 Big Ten games – its most league wins since Illinois had 58 percent of its scoring come from newcomers, 1988 (1 YR) Graduate Assistant 2005 – to finish just one game back of the conference which was the most of any team in the Big Ten. For the Hardin-Simmons University title. The Illini’s .650 winning percentage in league play first time in school history, a true-freshman led Illinois 1989 (1 YR) Assistant Coach was its best since 2006 and the program earned a bye to in scoring on the season as Ayo Dosunmu averaged 13.8 Dodge City Community College the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinal round for the first points. And in conference play, Illinois had true-freshmen 1990-93 (4 YRS) Head Coach time since 2011. as its top two leading scorers for the first time ever in Dodge City Community College Dosunmu (14.8 ppg) and Giorgi Bezhanishvili (13.5 ppg). Underwood installed a new defense prior to year three 1994-2003 (10 YRS) Assistant Coach and retooled the offense during the season, schematic Year one saw Underwood lay the foundation for the Illini Western Illinois University changes that led to Illinois ranking in the top 40 nationally program. Playing at the second-fastest tempo in the Big 2004-06 (3 YRS) Head Coach in both offensive and defensive efficiency (kenpom) for the Ten, Illinois topped 80 points in 12 games and averaged Daytona Beach Community College first time in nine years. Those changes complemented the 75.8 points on the season. That marked the UI’s highest trademark of Underwood-led teams that excel in transition scoring average in 13 years, since the 2005 national 2007 (1 YR) Director of Operations and on the glass. The Illini averaged more than 20 points runner-up season. The offense was aggressive in all Kansas State University per game in possessions under seven seconds and ranked phases, recording the team’s best offensive rebounding 2008-11 (4 YRS) Assistant Coach 11th in the nation in both offensive rebound rate (35.6) rate (.340) and highest free throw rate (.331) since 2008 Kansas State University and rebound margin (+7.5). and making the most free throws (478) since 2002. 2012 (1 YR) Associate Head Coach Kansas State University Illinois notched six Quad 1 wins on the season and was Defensively, Illinois ranked fourth nationally in turnover one of only two teams in the country to earn four road rate, forcing turnovers on 23.2 percent of opponent 2013 (1 YR) Associate Head Coach wins over teams in the top 35 of the NET. The Illini’s five possessions. The UI defense created its most turnovers University of South Carolina Big Ten road victories were its most in the last 10 years, (17.5 avg.) since 2000 while collecting its most steals 2014-16 (3 YRS) Head Coach highlighted by its first win at Purdue since the 2009 (6.3 spg) since 1999. Stephen F. Austin University season and its first wins at Wisconsin and at Michigan since 2010. Fans have come out to State Farm Center in big numbers 2017 (1 YR) Head Coach to watch the style of play of Underwood’s teams. Illinois’ Oklahoma State University The UI’s top two performers were once again improvement in average home attendance from 2017 to 2018- (4TH YR) Head Coach underclassmen. Sophomore Ayo Dosunmu led the team in 2018 ranked 13th nationally. The average increase of University of Illinois scoring (16.6 ppg) and assists (3.3 apg), becoming the 1,231 fans, meanwhile, marked the largest jump for the 12 // FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL // 1,811 VICTORIES // 17 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS // 30 NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES // FIVE FINAL FOURS THE COACHING STAFF RICHMOND FAMILY ENDOWED MEN’S HEAD BASKETBALL COACH BRAD UNDERWOOD program in nearly 40 years (1979). Illinois’ attendance average increased by an additional 321 fans in 2019, and by 106 more fans in 2020. Illinois played in front of sellout crowds in five of its final six home games last season, and the average home attendance of 13,041 ranked 24th nationally while registering as the highest mark for the program since the renovation of State Farm Center. Underwood and his staff have also made waves on the recruiting trail during their time in Champaign. In year one on the job the Illini inked Ayo Dosunmu, the program’s highest-rated guard recruit since 2002. Year two was highlighted by the signing of Kofi Cockburn, the program’s highest- rated center recruit since 2010. In year three the UI landed a top 15-ranked class for 2020 headlined by a pair of top-50 recruits in Illinois Mr. Basketball Adam Miller and Andre Curbelo. Underwood came to Illinois from Oklahoma State, where he led OSU to a 20-win season and 2017 NCAA Tournament appearance. The Cowboys had one of the most exciting and prolific offenses in the country, ranking eighth in the NCAA in scoring (85.7 ppg) and leading the nation in adjusted Illinois head coach Brad Underwood with his wife, Susan, son Tyler, and daughters, offensive efficiency. The Cowboys ranked eighth nationally in 3-point field Ashley (left) and Katie. goal percentage (.402) and fourth in the country in offensive rebounding percentage (.383). UNDERWOOD’S DI HEAD COACHING RECORD Oklahoma State finished fifth in the Big 12 with a 9-9 conference record in a University of Illinois Overall / Conf. (Finish) Postseason season where the Big 12 was rated as the top conference in the nation. That 2019-20 21-10 / 13-7 (4th) canceled (COVID-19) was a dramatic improvement for the Cowboys, who went 3-15 in league play 2018-19 12-21 / 7-13 (T-10th) the year prior. Oklahoma State came on strong during the second half of the 2017-18 14-18 / 4-14 (T-11th) season, winning 10 of 11 games from Jan. 21-Feb. 25, 2017, which included Three Years 47-49 (.490) / 24-34 (.414) a pair of five-game winning streaks. Oklahoma State University Overall / Conf. (Finish) Postseason Following that successful turnaround at OSU, he accepted the Illinois job 2016-17 20-13 / 9-9 (5th) NCAA 1st Round owning a total of 109 wins, third-most ever by a NCAA Div.