In terms of top basketball coaches at the University of Illinois, a lot of names come to mind. Names like Harry Combes, the first coach to win over 150 games in the Big Ten (174) and over 300 games at Illinois (316). He led the Illini to three Final Fours.
There have only been five coaches who have averaged 20 wins per season.
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Bruce Weber 23.3 (7 seasons)
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Brad Underwood 21.4 (9 seasons)
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Lon Kruger 20.25 (4 seasons)
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Lou Henson 20.04 (21 seasons)
Four of these coaches share glaring similarities in their origins and coaching paths.
LOU HENSON ILLINOIS
Lou Henson (1975-1996) was unknown to most. Born in Oklahoma, he played college basketball at New Mexico A&M, which would later become New Mexico State. After his playing days, he started coaching at Las Cruces High School in New Mexico.
Then, in 1962, he took the head coaching job at Hardin-Simmons University. In four years, Henson went 67-36 at Hardin-Simmons, topping 20 wins twice.
He went from there to his alma mater, New Mexico State. Henson made four straight appearances in the NCAA tournament from 1966-67 through 1970-71, reaching the Final Four in 1969-70 and losing in the Semifinals to UCLA.
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At Illinois, he established a rapport with the Chicago Public League coaches. His former player and assistant coach, Jimmy Collins, was able to make inroads in the public league and establish a “pipeline”. Later on, Henson would have the same success in Peoria.
Henson posted eight straight NCAA Tournament appearances (1982-83 through 1989-90), reaching the Elite Eight, Sweet Sixteen, and Final Four in a six-year stretch. He would take Illinois to the NCAA tournament 12 times.
Lon Kruger (1996-2000) from Florida. Kruger, who was making a name for himself, was born in Silver Lake, Kansas.
He played at Kansas State under legendary coach Jack Hartman and later served as an assistant under Hartman from 1979 to 1982, after a year as an assistant at Pittsburg State. He took over for Hartman in 1986 after 4 years at Pan American (now UT-Rio Grande Valley), going 52-59.
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In four years at Kansas State, he made the NCAA tournament every year he was there. He spent 6 seasons in Florida (104-80), taking them to the NCAA Tourney four times as well.
At Illinois, in four seasons, he went 81-48, taking the Illini to the Tourney three times. Kruger was able to keep the Henson-established “pipelines” in Chicago and Peoria open and flowing into Champaign.
Bill Self (2000 to 2003) was the coach at Tulsa. Self is from Okmulgee, Oklahoma.
Self played at Oklahoma State, then served as an assistant under Leonard Hamilton. After a four-season stint with Oral Roberts, he moved on to Tulsa, where he went 74-27 in three years and took the Golden Hurricane to the Elite Eight in 2000.
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Self became Illinois’ head coach in 2000-01 and hit the ground running. He led the Illini to the Elite Eight that season. Over his three years at Illinois, he made two more NCAA Tournament appearances and compiled a 78-24 record as head coach. He helped expand the Illini’s recruiting reach while continuing to attract top players in the state.
Brad Underwood (2017-present). Born in McPherson, Kansas, Underwood played at Hardin-Simmons University and Independence Community College, then for Kansas State under Jack Hartman.
After his college career ended, he returned to Hardin-Simmons as a Graduate Assistant. He was the head coach at Dodge City Community College (1988-92). Then he served as an assistant coach at Western Illinois from 1992 to 2003. Then went to Daytona Beach CC (2003-06).
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In 2006, he became an assistant coach at Kansas State under both Bob Huggins (2006-11) and Frank Martin (2011-2012). He would follow Frank Martin to South Carolina (2012-13).
He became the head coach at Stephen F. Austin in 2013. In three seasons, he went 89-14 with three straight NCAA tournament appearances. He then became the head coach at Oklahoma State. He completely turned around the Cowboys, who went 12-20 the previous year, to a 20-13 NCAA qualifier.
Since he has been at Illinois (2017), he has a streak of six straight NCAA appearances, including Elite Eight and Final Four appearances in the last three years. Underwood has changed the culture from being competitive and hoping to win to being competitive and expecting to win. He currently has the fourth-winningest coach in Illinois basketball history with 193 wins and could pass Bruce Weber, who is third with 210.
What is it that shaped these four coaches? They all grew up in small towns with modest upbringings. While some took different routes, Henson started as a high school coach, and Underwood coached at a junior college. Their careers have been and continue to be on the rise and evolving. A testament to their desire, ability, and Character.
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Cool facts
When he was at Stephen F. Austin, Brad Underwood told his administrative assistant that his dream job was to be the head coach at the University of Illinois. She wrote it down, and when he got the job at Illinois, she gave him the note.
Lou Henson and Bill Self’s hometowns are an hour away from each other.
Lon Kruger and Brad Underwood’s hometowns are two hours away from each other.
Bill Self was the host at Oklahoma State for a recruit named Brad Underwood.
Kruger, Self, and Underwood all played and coached in the Big 12 before coming to Illinois.
Both Kruger and Underwood played and coached under Jack Hartman.
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Both Henson and Underwood coached at Hardin-Simmons.
Both Henson and Self are the only two Illinois coaches to lead another team to the final four as a head coach.
