Illinois athletic director, Josh Whitman, has led the team to its first Final Four berth in 21 years after a nine-year partnership with coach Brad Underwood. Despite not immediately producing immediate success, Whitman's patience and belief in Underwood, who shared his values and vision for the program. The team has since made its first NCAA Tournament appearance under Underwood in 2021 and has made the tournament every year since then. Whitman was hired as Athletic Director in February 2016 and Underwood was one of the key figures in the team's success. Despite setbacks, Whitman remained patient and maintained his trust in the coach. The program's success has grown again thanks to resources from the transfer portal and international influence. The current roster of the current team includes Croatian twins Tomislav Išav and Croatian forward Iševski.