Brad Underwood Named Illini Basketball Coach

[South Farms]

Every coach says his school is the best school and he's going to be there until the end - until he isn't. Nature of the job.

As the coach of Ole Miss almost 20 years ago, Tommy Tuberville uttered these now-infamous words: “They’ll have to carry me out of here in a pine box” — implying his commitment to Ole Miss would last until his death.

Just days later, Tuberville was carried out of Oxford, Miss., in one of Auburn’s luxurious private jets, swept from the cow fields of northern Mississippi to the plains of central Alabama, where he was introduced as the Tigers’ coach in a news conference with a salary of $900,000, doubling his pay at Ole Miss.

Tuberville made it infamous, but its been done with less theater all the time.

We can probably find BU saying similar words last year.

 

[MrOizo]

Illinois Basketball's head coach on wikipedia was listed as "A Snake"

Don't worry, I fixed it.

This is all I have to say to that poor Okie State fan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS2S1s716R8

 

[Trakis]

Josh Whitman makes me wet.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[lexwaldez]

After educating myself a bit, I really like this hire. REALLY like it. REALLY, REALLY like it. I'm getting more and more excited about the idea.

I was pretty down overall on the Cuonzo-Missouri move (great move by them), and I frankly wondered if we should have hired him. But I am now at complete peace... Whitman, man.

Exactly. 100% agree. I'm looking forward to going to see some games this year. Both football and basketball are going to be a lot more fun to watch this fall. :thumb:

 

[South Farms]

Illinois Basketball's head coach on wikipedia was listed as "A Snake"

Don't worry, I fixed it.

oSu will hate BU more than we hated Self when he left.

how much you wanna bet we get put into a similar tourney bracket as oSu in the next two years ?

 

[sunman]

Soooooo excited!!!
Go Illini!

 

[MadSeason]

Leading scorer and rebounder @ OkState, Jeffrey Carroll is a soon to be 5th year grad student.

That would be nice, but I wonder if he's ready to make some money playing ball though. Doubled his scoring average Underwood which has to help

 

[foby]

Illinois Basketball's head coach on wikipedia was listed as "A Snake"

Don't worry, I fixed it.

I wonder what OSU's AD is listed as? Maybe a donkey?

 

[foby]

Josh Whitman makes me wet.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

Wow! He can even make it rain!

 

[FiveStar]

That would be nice, but I wonder if he's ready to make some money playing ball though. Doubled his scoring average Underwood which has to help

Hopefully he likes orange more than green

 

[MrOizo]

oSu will hate BU more than we hated Self when he left.

how much you wanna bet we get put into a similar tourney bracket as oSu in the next two years ?

That would require making the tournament. You mean, there's a chance we go to the dance? I am struggling to process that...

 

[Ubermensch]

Josh Whitman deserves a raise!

Maybe if his guys actually win games.

 

[SalukiIllini]

Josh Whitman makes me wet.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

It's flooding at my crib

 

[Seagee]

https://twitter.com/ChrisGreenHLS/status/843252819901779968/photo/1

 

[SampsonRelpenk]

We probably haven't had this much reason to feel simultaneously good about the future of our basketball and football programs since what, just before the kickoff of the 2002 Sugar Bowl?

 

[bigillinfan11]

Great hire...I watched that Michigan/OSU game....that OSU team can flat out score, run the court. Every basket UM got...OSU ran down the court and matched. The intensity and up tempo game is a ++++. NO more of this pass the ball 10 times before someone takes a shot.

I was at this game. was a great game

 

[Seagee]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQDD-cH21uo

Here's video I shot of Coach Underwood's first interview after stepping off the plane at Willard.

 

[Dan]

So Illinois will effectively be paying north of $6 million for Underwood to coach next season. The base salary alone of over $3 million would have ranked in the top 12 of last year’s college basketball coaching salaries (the 2017 database has not been released yet).

http://www.pistolsfiringblog.com/illinois-tripled-brad-underwoods-salary-paid-3-million-buyout/

 

[GoIllini40]

 

[Obelix]

Just came back and read the news. Obviously, surprised as everyone else.

Brad Underwood is intense, he is Bob Huggins and Frank Martin without the baggage. His style of play is attractive, attacking basketball.

I do not know much about his recruiting though, so that remains to be seen. If he can recruit and upgrade talent, he will be successful.

Just to add, and I don't mean to hit the breaks on everyone's enthusiasm. Brad Underwood would not have been my, or most peoples', first choice, especially compared to some bigger names like Bennett, Archie, or Monty. But given the state of the program, he may be a good hire.

On the positive side, his style of play is very attractive, his teams also play very hard.

On the negative side, recruiting is a question mark. Keeping the recruiting class, and probably adding a player or two may help him gain some time to re-establish some connections in the area.

 

[IlliniinIowa]

We probably haven't had this much reason to feel simultaneously good about the future of our basketball and football programs since what, just before the kickoff of the 2002 Sugar Bowl?

I don't know? I felt pretty good going into the 2004-2005 basketball season. :thumb:

 

[MrOizo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQDD-cH21uo

Here's video I shot of Coach Underwood's first interview after stepping off the plane at Willard.

Thanks so much. I love his mentions of familiarity with StL, Chicago, Illinois, and the AAU coaches through 10 years at Western Illinois and 7 at KSU.

I didn't know that, very important.

 

[Ubermensch]

On the negative side, recruiting is a question mark. Keeping the recruiting class, and probably adding a player or two may help him gain some time to re-establish some connections in the area.

I'd add defensive question marks as a legitimate concern.

 

[Seagee]

Thanks so much. I love his mentions of familiarity with StL, Chicago, Illinois, and the AAU coaches through 10 years at Western Illinois and 7 at KSU.

I didn't know that, very important.

I was chatting with his son as well who was born in Illinois and said Dee Brown and the Illini were his favorite team when his dad was coaching at Western. The family seems to really love Illinois and are glad to be back here.

 

[jmwillini]

Switching between here and Scout, can't help noticing that it appears to be 80-20 pro here and 20-80 there. Looks a little closer there, but mainly because of 3-4 posters.

By the way, I am really happy. Never expected him to be available, just like Bryce Drew, just because of the one year.