The University of Illinois has awarded athletic director Josh Whitman a new contract that could keep him in Champaign through 2039 and ultimately pay him more than $45 million.
The university’s board of trustees approved the agreement Thursday. The initial 10-year contract runs through 2036 and includes $26.1 million in base compensation.
Whitman’s salary will increase by more than $600,000 to $2.15 million for the 2026-27 academic year. His base salary will then rise by $100,000 during each year of the agreement.
Whitman will also earn a $500,000 retention bonus each June 30 that he remains Illinois’ athletic director, potentially increasing the initial value of the contract to $31.1 million. He can earn up to an additional $500,000 annually through performance incentives based on goals established by the university chancellor.
The agreement can be extended by three years through 2039 if the Illinois football and men’s basketball programs meet certain benchmarks. With the extensions, retention bonuses and performance incentives, the deal could be worth at least $45 million over 13 years.
Whitman has led the Illinois athletic department since February 2016. During his tenure, he hired football coach Bret Bielema and men’s basketball coach Brad Underwood.
Illinois football recently recorded 19 victories over two seasons, the best two-year stretch in program history, while the men’s basketball program reached its first Final Four since 2005.
Whitman has also overseen several major facility projects, including the $79.2 million Smith Football Center and a $40 million renovation of the Ubben Basketball Complex. Illinois athletics secured more than $321 million during the university’s “With Illinois” fundraising campaign and reported a program-record total of more than $150 million in new gifts during the 2025 fiscal year.
The contract prohibits Whitman from accepting a position at another university during the agreement. It is his fifth extension since returning to his alma mater.
Whitman played tight end at Illinois from 1997 through 2000 before spending parts of four seasons in the NFL. He previously served as athletic director at Wisconsin-La Crosse and Washington University in St. Louis.
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