On top of the regular-season bonuses, postseason bonuses, attendance bonuses, team academic bonuses and coach of the year bonuses, half of the leaders of men's basketball programs at Big Ten public schools have an additional something extra in their contracts -- retention bonuses, just for staying put.
But none can match the seven-figure annual bump just added to Brad Underwood's contract, which UI trustees are expected to sign off on at their Thursday meeting in Urbana. Not even the conference's top earner -- Michigan State's Tom Izzo, who received a $4 million one-time retention bonus in 2022 but doesn't have another one coming.
Here's a closer look at what's in the "additional compensation" section of coaches' contracts, obtained by The News-Gazette via open-records request.
BRAD UNDERWOOD, Illinois
His previous deal called for retention bonuses of $600,000 on May 31, 2022, and $500,000 on April 30 every year that followed. And assuming he's still reporting to work at the Ubben Basketball Complex on July 1, 2026, his new deal includes an extra $1.15 million -- "and growing every year thereafter."
MICK CRONIN, UCLA
For remaining the Bruins' coach from April 1, 2022, to April 15, 2025, this year's second-highest-paid Big Ten basketball coach collected an extra $2 million last month. Stick around until March 31, 2028, and he'll be due another $2 million.
STEVE PIKIELL, Rutgers
This July 1 makes the third one in a row that he'll have an extra $300,000 coming. Pikiell will pocket the same amount if he's still the Scarlet Knights coach on July 1, 2027, and July 1, 2029.
MATT PAINTER, Purdue
The five-time Big Ten Coach of the Year was the conference's third-highest-paid coach in 2024-25, making $4.85 million to Underwood's $4.8 million (including retention bonuses). But they'll likely flip spots next year, with Painter's $450,000 bonus last September dropping to $250,000 annually for the remainder of a deal that runs through 2028-29.
DANA ALTMAN, Oregon
Last month, Altman took in an extra $225,000, the same amount he received the previous two April 25ths and would get again at the same time next year. The bonus rises to $250,000 in 2027 and $350,000 in 2028, when his six-year deal is due to expire.
FRED HOIBERG, Nebraska
The Cornhusker-in-chief has two retention bonuses -- or, as Nebraska calls them, "stay bonuses" -- in his contract. Both are for $500,000 -- one in the past (2024), one in the future (2027).
DUSTY MAY, Michigan
Should the Wolverines' soon-to-be-second-year coach stick around through Year 3, he'll be due his first retention bonus -- $300,000, on April 1, 2027. Get through Year 4, and he'll receive the same amount on the same date in 2028.
BUZZ WILLIAMS, Maryland
The Terps splurged to hire Williams away from Texas A&M following Kevin Willard's March departure for Villanova. He'll make $4.8 million in Year 1, but has to wait until the end of Year 6 -- April 15, 2031 -- to collect his lone retention bonus, of $1 million.