Illinois clinched its spot in Indianapolis on Saturday night, defeating Iowa 71-59 in Houston. This marks the program’s first Final Four appearance since 2005 and the first of Brad Underwood’s career.
Is it FINALLY time to put the “Fire Brad” statements to rest?
Despite consistent success, some fans still wanted more NCAA Tournament success from Underwood to validate his ability as a coach. There were questions surrounding his X’s and O’s and his willingness to adjust during games. It is officially time to put those doubts about Underwood to rest.
Underwood arrived
at Illinois with just four years of Division I head coaching experience, and he has grown tremendously since those early seasons. No coach is perfect, and it’s completely fair for them to learn and evolve through years of NCAA Tournament experience.
He took over an Illinois program that had missed the NCAA Tournament for four consecutive years and was at rock bottom. After two rebuilding seasons, Underwood quickly returned the Illini to relevance and has since made the Big Dance every year (including the COVID year, which I am counting as a postseason berth).
During that span, Illinois has accumulated the most wins in the Big Ten and secured two conference championship banners in 2022 and 2024. Consistent regular-season success is a strong indicator of a program’s overall health, and it was only a matter of time before Underwood broke through in March.
The upset loss to Loyola-Chicago was often cited by critics as evidence that Underwood wasn’t a great coach. While Illinois fans had every reason to be disappointed by that loss, it did not define Underwood or his staff. Instead, they used those setbacks as motivation, eventually breaking through to reach the second weekend in 2024 and now the Final Four.
Patience is a virtue. Even great coaches often take years to reach their first Final Four. Former Illinois head coach Bill Self, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach, needed 15 years as a Division I head coach to get there. It’s incredibly difficult to reach this stage, and Underwood has done it in his 13th season.
Does anyone love the University of Illinois more than Brad Underwood?
His passion for the school and athletic department is unmatched, and it’s exactly what this program needed. He consistently praises Illini Nation as the best fan base in the country and has called Illinois his dream job.
“I’m going to get emotional, but I’ve been doing this 39 years, and you dream about this as a kid, and I dreamt about doing it at Illinois,” Underwood said on Saturday.
Underwood is clearly grateful to be leading this program and has poured everything into building it into what it is today. The Illini are heading to their first Final Four in 21 years, and it’s a moment fans won’t take for granted. It is a GREAT day and a GREAT week to be an Illini.
So, is it finally time to move on from the “Fire Underwood” narrative?
It sure feels like it. Illinois officially has one of the best coaches in college basketball.
