Illinois has signed head coach Tyra Perry to a contract extension.
Perry’s deal will now stretch through the 2027 season; the extension adds two years to her existing contract.
“We are pleased to extend Coach Perry’s contract to ensure she remains at the helm of Illinois softball for at least the next four years,” Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman said in a statement. “Tyra is a driven competitor who has led our program to numerous achievements during her tenure, highlighted by four NCAA regional appearances. She is a focused, values-driven model for her players – past and present – which has helped her become the lone female coach to lead three different schools to the NCAA tournament. We want to thank Tyra for her commitment and belief in the University of Illinois and Fighting Illini Athletics. The future is bright for the softball program under her continued leadership, and we look forward to supporting her and our student-athletes in the many seasons ahead.”
Through eight seasons as the Fighting Illini head coach, Perry has guided the program to more than 240 wins and four NCAA tournament appearances. Her squad has never posted a losing record during her tenure in Champaign and finished a program-best 3rd in the Big Ten standings in 2022.
Prior to Illinois, Perry was the head coach at Ball State, Western Kentucky, and Birmingham Southern.
