He inked an extension in May of 2025.
Bret Bielema contract, explained: How Illinois salary compares to highest-paid college football coaches originally appeared on The Sporting News
In Champaign, Ill., the Illinois Fighting Illini are partying like it’s 2001 again. That’s because it’s been 24 years since Illinois last cracked the top 10 in the national rankings.
One of the key figures behind the program’s resurgence is head coach Bret Bielema. The former Wisconsin and Arkansas coach has gone 13-3 over the last two seasons and guided Illinois to a Citrus Bowl victory last year.
Despite that success, Bielema’s salary still falls well below many of his Big Ten counterparts. Here’s a closer look at his contract with Illinois.
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Briet Bielema contract details
Bielema was awarded a new contract this offseason after guiding Illinois to its first 10-win season since 2001 — just the fifth in program history. The Illini rewarded him with a six-year extension that runs through 2031, worth $7.7 million annually.
His new deal also includes annual retention bonuses, which start at $700,000 and increase from there. Illinois' official release also adds that the contract includes various performance and longevity bonuses.
"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."
Not a single place he would rather be. @BretBielema extends his contract with Illinois Football!
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) May 13, 2025
Read about Coach B's extension: https://t.co/ebguRxYTkspic.twitter.com/JtwKyS870o
Bielema's new deal puts him a bit closer to what his other fellow coaches inside the Big Ten earn.
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Bret Bielema salary vs. Ryan Day, other Big Ten coaches
According to USA Today's coaching salary database, which was last updated in 2024, Bielema is paid far less than some other big-name coaches in the Big Ten. Here's a look at how he compares to the likes of Ohio State's Ryan Day, USC's Lincoln Riley and others:
- Ryan Day, Ohio State: $12.5 million annually
- Lincoln Riley, USC: $10.04 million annually
- James Franklin, Penn State: $8.5 million annually
- Dan Lanning, Oregon: $8.2 million annually
- Luke Fickel, Wisconsin: $7.7 million annually
- Bret Bielema, Illinois: $7.7 million annually
Day was making just over $10 million a year at Ohio State last season, but the Buckeyes gave him a new contract in February following the Buckeyes' national title run.
Bret Bielema coaching record
Bielema holds a 31-22 record over five seasons at Illinois, including an 18-18 mark in Big Ten play and a 1-1 record in bowl games. His first year in Champaign in 2021 ended at 5-7, but the Illini bounced back with an 8-5 campaign in 2022. After slipping to 5-7 in 2023, Illinois surged to a 10-2 finish last season and was ranked by the CFP for four consecutive weeks -- a program record.
Before taking over at Illinois, Bielema served as Wisconsin’s head coach from 2006 to 2012, compiling a 68-24 record and leading the Badgers to back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances in 2010 and 2011. He then spent five seasons at Arkansas, where he went 29-34 before being dismissed in 2017.
Bielema also gained NFL experience as an assistant with the New England Patriots and New York Giants from 2018 to 2020 before Illinois hired him in 2021.
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