COURTESY OF DODGE CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE ATHLETICS (4/2/2026) | WICHITA EAGLE STORY (4/2/2026)

Opportunities come in many forms, and for one NCAA men's basketball Final Four head coach this year, his opportunity to start his coaching career began at the junior college level, right here in Dodge City, Kansas. 

The McPherson, Kansas, native Brad Underwood, in his ninth season as head coach of the University of Illinois men's basketball program, has led the Fighting Illini to the Final Four for the first time since 2005. The Ilini beat Penn in the first round of the tournament 105-70, topped VCU in the second round 76-55, then won 65-55 over Houston in the Sweet 16, and beat Iowa 71-59 to earn a spot in the Final Four. Coach Underwood has his team at 28-8 on the season. 

While his coaching journey has led him to the Final Four with Illinois, it has been a long journey that has featured many stops, including his first head coaching job in Dodge City. Underwood at the rip age of 24 took over as head coach for the Conquistadors in 1989 and led the Conqs for four seasons. 

"I'm forever grateful," Underwood said. "I got a coaching job at the age of 24 and didn't know anything. I had to figure it out. It was a lot of trial and error. That's why I've never forgotten it. It's (Dodge City) where I truly learned to coach and where I cut my teeth," said Underwood in an interview with the Wichita Eagle. 

During his four seasons at Dodge City, Underwood earned 57 wins and had a 20-13 record during the 1991-92 season, which saw the Conqs finish third in the KJCCC West and make the final four of the Region VI tournament. He coached multiple KJCCC All-Conference honorees during his tenure, with several players moving on to the NCAA DI level; he also coached his brother, TJ Underwood, while at Dodge City. 

Dodge City ultimately served as the launching pad to coach Underwood's career as he went on to be at Illinois for nine seasons, with two other NCAA DI head coaching jobs prior to that at Stephen F. Austin for three seasons, guiding the Lumberjacks to the NCAA Tournament and an 89-14 record during those three seasons, and one season at Oklahoma State. He also served as an assistant coach at Western Illinois, Kansas State, and South Carolina, while spending time at Daytona State (2004-06) as head coach once again at the junior college level. 

"Dodge City is where I learned to coach," Underwood. "It was such high-level basketball back then. The players were incredible. The coaching was incredible. I was making $25,000, and you could have added two zeroes to that, and I was still going to do whatever it was going to take to be successful. Pretty inspiring times. To be honest, I've never forgot it. I believe part of the reason for the success I've had comes from learning how to do it in the JUCO ranks," said Underwood in an interview with the Wichita Eagle.

Underwood, during his time at Illinois, has made six straight trips to the NCAA tournament, won the BIG 10 regular season title in 2022, and won a pair of BIG 10 tournament titles. Amassing 193 wins with the Illini and over 300 career wins at the NCAA DI level. 

The Fighting Illini are set to take on UCONN in the Final Four in Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday, April 14th at 5:09 pm and will look to vie for a national title something that the Illinois men's basketball program has just one of back in 1915 winning a Helms Athletic Foundation title, as they look to try and capture an NCAA Tournament title for the first time ever with a pair of victories to cap the season.