On Tuesday, University of Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman announced that Coach Dan Hartleb’s contract was going to be extended for four more years.
And why not? Hartleb, who is in his 18th year as head coach of Illinois has had tremendous success with the team.
A quick look at Hartleb’s highlights
- D1 Baseball 2010s Big Ten Coach of the Decade
- Big Ten championships in 2011 and 2015
- Career 507-371-1 record (241-182 Big Ten)
But Coach Hartleb’s success goes beyond the highlights and numbers. In his 18 years as head coach, he has created an atmosphere that facilitated success for his players on and off the field. In addition to being one of best teams over the span of his career, they have one of the highest academic records. Coach makes sure of that.
Josh Whitman has plenty of confidence in Hartleb:
Dan Hartleb embodies Illinois Baseball. He is an intense competitor, a teacher of fundamentals and an established leader. He and his family are stalwarts of the local community, and Dan has grown into a very influential voice within our program. We are fortunate to have him continuing to lead our baseball student-athletes to even greater heights in the years ahead. I am grateful for his hard work and trust, and we look forward to celebrating many more Illini victories with him at the helm.
With this contract extension, Coach Hartleb will most assuredly pass Lee Eilbracht on the list of most wins by an Illinois head coach. Hartleb only needs 12 more wins to become the top dog.
The year I started following Illinois baseball coincided with Coach Hartleb’s first year as head coach. He was an assistant coach under Coach Itch Jones and was the logical choice to take over when Jones retired. Illinois had just won the 2005 Big Ten championship and Jones is still one of all-time winningest coaches so Hartleb had big shoes to fill.
So far, so good. Coach Hartleb, we are lucky to have four more years with you at the helm.