Bret Bielema signs 6-year contract extension with Illinois through 2030

Bret Bielema is coming off leading Illinois to its best season in nearly 25 years. Now, he has been rewarded with a contract extension.

Illinois on Tuesday announced that Bielema has signed a 6-year contract extension, which will keep him at the helm of the program through 2030.

“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. A special thank you to those players — I could not be more excited about where our program is going because of you.”

Bielema, who was named the Illini’s head coach ahead of the 2021 season after the firing of Lovie Smith, went 5-7 in his first year before an 8-5 mark in 2022. The Illini regressed to 5-7 in 2023 before a breakthrough 10-3 record in 2024, the program’s most wins since a 10-2 campaign in 2001.

His first head coaching role was at Wisconsin, where he went 68-24 before leaving for the SEC to take the Arkansas job in 2013. There, he went 29-34 before his firing in 2017.

After 3 seasons in the NFL, he was named head coach at Illinois, where his record currently stands at 28-22. For his career, he is 125-80.