COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Bielema signs new deal

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Illinois has locked in its football coach for the long term, agreeing to a six-year contract with Bret Bielema.

Illinois rewarded Bielema for turning around its struggling football program.

Bielema's deal runs through 2030, pending approval by the university's board of trustees on May 22.

Bielema's annual salary would begin at $7.7 million and could be eligible for four one-year extensions if performance benchmarks are met, as well as annual retention incentives starting next July 1.

For Bielema, the retention incentives would start at $700,000 and increase each year.

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 beat South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl and became just the fifth team in the program's 133 years to reach double-digit victories.

"Over the last four seasons, our program has been built on tough, smart, dependable people in every facet: from our players, to our coaches and staff, to our administration," Bielema said in a statement. "I am fortunate to work every day with an athletic director that fully believes in our football program and a coaching staff that fully believes in our players."

Bielema, who led Wisconsin to three Rose Bowls before a disappointing run at Arkansas, replaced the fired Lovie Smith after the 2020 season. He got a six-year contract at the time with a salary starting at $4.2 million to return to the Big Ten and his home state.

Illinois had nine straight losing seasons before Bielema was hired. The Illini went 5-7 in his first year before winning eight games in 2022. They went 5-7 in 2023 before bouncing back last year.

Illinois won 10 games for the first time since 2001. The Illini were ranked by the College Football Playoff selection committee a program-record four straight weeks and appeared in the AP poll 11 times, finishing at No. 16.

May 13, 2024