According to the updated @BetterGov salary database, Illinois& #39; highest paid employee in 2018 was University of Illinois head football coach @LovieSmith with $4.5 million. Or a little more than $1.1 million for each of the four games U of I won that year. https://salary.bettergov.org/person/lovie-smith-d5abd22d/">https://salary.bettergov.org/person/lo...

Not surprisingly, U of I basketball coach Bradley Underwood is the second highest paid public employee in Illinois with $3.3 million. Underwood& #39;s team went 21-10 before last year& #39;s season was cancelled. Illinois& #39; overall record under his management is 47-48.

Comparatively, Rod Carey, the former head coach of the superior Northern Illinois University football team, went 8-6 in 2018, and was paid a $666,880 salary, or $83,360 per win. https://salary.bettergov.org/person/roderick-charles-carey-bed760a5/">https://salary.bettergov.org/person/ro...

NIU also went to a bowl game that year, U of I did not. This is not reflected in the @BetterGov salary database, but is important to know.