Champaign, IL – Illinois men's basketball coach John Groce received a one-year contract extension on Saturday.
Pending an approval by the University Board of Trustees, Groce will be on the sidelines until 2017-18. He will also receive a $200,000 raise, increasing his annual salary to $1.6 million.
"We are pleased to extend John Groce's contract by a year and reward him for an outstanding job in his first season at Illinois," said athletic director Mike Thomas. "The arrow is definitely pointing up for Fighting Illini basketball, and this helps solidify the commitment by both the University and John to continue moving the program to a championship level."
Groce led Illinois to a 23-13 (8-10 Big Ten) record last season, including a perfect 12-0 start. The Fighting Illini earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 7 seed, defeating Colorado in the second round before losing to Miami-Florida in the Round of 32.
"We are very excited about the direction Illinois Basketball is moving," said Groce. "Our staff and players will continue to work tirelessly to reach the championsip-level standards we have set for our program on the court, off the court and in the classroom. When you combine the world-class academic reputation of the University of Illinois with the outstanding support of President Bob Easter, Chancellor Phyllis Wise, Director of Athletics Mike Thomas, the DIA and our other campus administration, we feel like we have all the pieces here to compete at the highest level."
Prior to joining Illinois, Groce spent four seasons at Ohio University and guided the Bobcats to an 85-56 record and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2011-12, Ohio went 29-8 and reached the Sweet 16 before losing to North Carolina in overtime.
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