Brad Underwood
Brad Underwood (born December 14, 1963)
Current position: Head men’s basketball coach
Current team: Illinois Fighting Illini
Current conference: Big Ten Conference
Stephen F. Austin record: 32-12 (.727) **
Oklahoma State record: 20-13 (.606)
Illinois record: 143-88 (.619)
Overall record: 195-111 (.637) **
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 6 (2014, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) **
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 1 (2024)
- NCAA Tournament Final Four: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 0
- Big Ten Regular Season Champion: 1 (2022)
- Southland Regular Season Champion: 3 (2014, 2015, 2016)
- Big Ten Tournament Champion: 2 (2021, 2024)
- Southland Tournament Champion: 3 (2014, 2015, 2016)
Awards:
- Joe B. Hall Award: 1 (2014)
- Southland Coach of the Year: 3 (2014, 2015, 2016)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 2017-present | Illinois |
| 2016-2017 | Oklahoma State |
| 2013-2016 | Stephen F. Austin |
| 2012-2013 | South Carolina (asst) |
| 2006-2012 | Kansas State (asst) |
| 2003-2006 | Daytona Beach CC |
| 1992-2003 | Western Illinois (asst) |
| 1988-1992 | Dodge City CC |
Brad Underwood Facts
- Bradley Cole Underwood
- Born December 14, 1963
- Hometown: McPherson, Kansas
- Alma Mater: Kansas State University (BA, 1986)
- Played for Jack Hartman at Kansas State from 1984-1986
- Was head coach at Dodge City CC (KS) for four years, compiling a 62-60 overall record
- Spent eleven seasons as an assistant under Jim Kerwin at Western Illinois
- Head coach for three seasons at Daytona Beach CC (FL), going 7-24 overall
- Spent one season as an assistant to Bob Huggins, then six more under Frank Martin at Kansas State and South Carolina
- In three years as the head coach at Stephen F. Austin, won three straight Southland regular season and Tournament titles; had a 2-3 record in the NCAA Tournament with the Lumberjacks
- After Underwood’s departure, Stephen F. Austin was investigated by the NCAA and found to have been inaccurately certifying players’ academic eligibility across a number of athletic programs, including men’s basketball
- A total of 117 victories credited to Underwood and his successor Kyle Keller were vacated, including the Lumberjacks’ 2015, 2016 and 2018 NCAA Tournament appearances (the latter under Keller)
- Hired as the head coach at Oklahoma State in March 2016, going 20-13 in his lone season
- Hired away in March 2017 to become the head coach at Illinois
- After finishing below .500 in his first two seasons, his 2019-20 team went 21-10 and was ranked as high as #19
- In 2021, Underwood’s squad won the Big Ten Tournament and earned a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament
- Earned a 3-seed in 2023 and led the Illini to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005
Brad Underwood Coaching Tree
- Mike Boynton, Jr. (Oklahoma State)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I level only
** Listed records and accomplishments for this coach do not include wins or appearances later vacated by the NCAA