Eastern Illinois athletic director Tom Michael has announced the finalization of long term contracts for four Panthers head coaches with each coming off a successful run during the past year.
Football coach
Chris Wilkerson, volleyball coach
Sara Thomas, baseball coach
Jason Anderson and women's basketball coach
Matt Bollant have all signed multi-year contracts approved by the EIU Board of Trustees.
Wilkerson added a two-year extension to his current deal which will keep him in Charleston through 2028. Wilkerson finished sixth in voting for this year's Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year Award after guiding EIU to an 8-3 record and No. 24 ranking in the final FCS Coaches poll. He was named the inaugural Big South-OVC Football Association Coach of the Year after guiding the Panthers to a six-win turnaround, one of the best in the FCS last season.
Thomas inked a multi-year deal which will keep her in Charleston though the 2027 season. This past season Thomas had an electric start to the season opening with a 10-0 record including a home win over SEC member Missouri. The Panthers would go on to win 28 matches and sweep through the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament winning all three matches in 3-0 fashion. Thomas was named the OVC Coach of the Year guiding the Panthers to their second NCAA Tournament appearance and first since the 2001 season.
Anderson will be in Charleston through the 2028 season with a five-year contract. Over the past couple of seasons Anderson has built success in the Panthers program with consecutive winning seasons on the field and several high level draft picks. This past season EIU roared through the OVC Tournament winning five games in four days including the winner-take-all championship game. The Panthers punched their ticket to their third NCAA Tournament appearance and first since the 2009 season setting a school record with 38 wins.
Bollant added a two-year extension to his current deal which will keep him on the EIU bench through the 2027 season. The Panthers are currently in the midst of a four-game win streak and sit in second in this year's Ohio Valley Conference standings. Last season Bollant guided the Panthers to a 21 win season, the first for the program in more than ten years. EIU would set a school record with 13 straight OVC wins to open conference play in 2022-23 and advance to the OVC Tournament semifinals.
"We are excited to be able to offer each of these coaches a multi-year contract as they continue to build successful championship programs here at EIU," said Michael. "This allows each of those head coaches stability and the ability to continue to grow their programs. Each contract was awarded based on the hard work and dedication they have put into their specific programs. I would like thank President Jay Gatrell and the Board of Trustees for working to offer these long term contracts as we strive to build a championship environment for Panther Athletics."
