Northern Illinois Huskies Football: A Legacy of Resilience and Achievement

The Northern Illinois Huskies football program, representing Northern Illinois University (NIU), boasts a rich history dating back to the late 19th century. As a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Mid-American Conference (MAC), the Huskies have established themselves as a competitive force in college football. With a blend of historic achievements, conference titles, and memorable seasons, NIU's football journey is a testament to the dedication and passion of its players, coaches, and fans. As of the 2025 season, Thomas Hammock will be entering his 7th season as head coach.

Early Years and Conference Affiliations (1899-1972)

The Northern Illinois Huskies football team played its first game in 1899 against DeKalb High School. Coached by John L. Keith, the team secured its first victory. From 1899 to 1919, NIU competed as an independent program before joining the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) in 1920. The team became independent again in 1925, only to rejoin the IIAC in 1928. That year, the team finished winless for the first time. In 1929, Chick Evans took over as head football coach and led his squad to a 6-1-1 record. In 1938, NIU captured its first title: the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship.

In 1950, the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, with only five members (NIU, SIU, EIU, WIU, and ISU), accepted its first out-of-state members and changed its name to the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Despite a spotless season (9-0-0) in 1951, which earned the team its fifth conference title, NIU struggled during the first few years in the newly named conference. Howard Fletcher revitalized the team after a miserable 0-8-1 season under Robert Kahler in 1956.

The Fletcher Era and Division II National Championship (1956-1965)

The Huskies demonstrated slow but steady progress in the late 1950s. Their third bowl game appearance in 1962 marked the beginning of a successful period. In 1963, the Huskies completed their sixth undefeated season, earning the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship, an AP College Division National Championship selection, and a victory in the Mineral Water Bowl against Missouri State. The team secured a three-peat championship, adding the 1964 and 1965 conference titles to their achievements.

Transition to Division I and Mid-American Conference (1966-1995)

NIU transitioned to independence from 1966 through 1972 before joining the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in 1973. The team claimed the MAC title in 1983 and participated in their first Division I-A Bowl Game, the California Bowl, where they defeated Cal State-Fullerton. From 1986 to 1992, the team was independent. In 1993, the Huskies joined the Big West Conference for three seasons.

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The Joe Novak Era: Building a Foundation (1996-2007)

Joe Novak took over the Huskies program in December 1995 and coached his first NIU game in September 1996. The first three years of Novak's tenure were challenging, with the Huskies winning only three games between 1996 and 1998. However, Novak turned the program around. On October 17, 1998, the Huskies broke their losing streak by defeating Central Michigan University 17-6. The student body tore down the goal posts and carried them down Lincoln Highway, planting them in a campus lagoon. University president John LaTourette personally paid to have new goal posts installed.

In 1999, NIU won five games, and in 2000, Novak started a string of seven consecutive winning seasons, going 6-5 in both 2000 and 2001. Optimism was high to start the 2003 season with 12 returning starters, including future NFL players Michael Turner, Doug Free, Brad Cieslak, P. J. Fleck, Dan Sheldon, Keith Perry, Vinson Reynolds, Akil Grant, Randee Drew, and Travis Moore. On opening weekend, the Huskies beat No. 15 Maryland, 20-13, in overtime. Then, the Huskies traveled to Tuscaloosa and beat No. 21 Alabama, 16-13. After beating Iowa State the following week, the Huskies were rolling and won their first 7 games. Following their week 5 win against Ohio, the first BCS standings were released, and by week 7 the Huskies had climbed to No. 10 overall. Novak and the Huskies could not keep that momentum going, as they lost in week 8 at No. 22 Bowling Green, which also featured the first ever ESPN GameDay appearance for a MAC football game.

Novak's 2004 and 2006 teams both went to bowl games. The 2004 team went to the Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose, California, and was the first Huskies team to go bowling in 21 years. The Huskies fell behind early, 14-0, to a Troy team that featured DeMarcus Ware but rallied behind future NFL running back Garrett Wolfe and the accurate passing of Josh Haldi to win, 34-21. Novak's final year was a tough one, winning only 2 games and finishing at the bottom of the MAC West. Overall, Novak won 63 games as the Huskies' head coach.

The Jerry Kill Era: MAC Championship and Bowl Appearances (2008-2010)

Jerry Kill was hired to replace the retiring Joe Novak after the 2007 season. Kill was previously the head coach at Southern Illinois University, an FCS football program, making NIU his first FBS head coaching job. Kill led the Huskies to three straight bowl appearances in his three years as head coach, all three with quarterback Chandler Harnish. In 2010, Kill led the Huskies to the MAC Championship, but NIU fell to Miami (Ohio). On December 5, 2010, the day after NIU's loss in the MAC Championship, Kill tendered his immediate resignation and accepted the position of head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

The Dave Doeren Era: Jordan Lynch and BCS Bowl Game (2011-2013)

On December 13, 2010, Dave Doeren was named the new head coach. 2012 ended up being another memorable season in DeKalb, with the emergence of quarterback Jordan Lynch. Lynch was replacing Huskie QB Chandler Harnish, the decorated NIU starting QB for the previous three years. There was hope that Lynch would be a good quarterback, but no one could have predicted what Lynch ended up doing in the 2012 campaign. Lynch ended the season passing for 2962 yards, 24 touchdowns with five interceptions. He also ran for 1751 yards and 19 rushing touchdowns. The 1751 rushing yards were the most ever by a quarterback in the FBS at the time, surpassing a record set in 2011 by Denard Robinson of the University of Michigan. Lynch's marquee game was on November 14 against Toledo, where Lynch threw for 407 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for another 162 yards.

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Lynch led the Huskies to an 11-1 record, a No. 21 ranking in the BCS poll and their third consecutive MAC West Divisional Championship. In the MAC Championship Game, NIU defeated No. 17 Kent State Golden Flashes 44-37 score in double overtime. Lynch scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime. The win eventually propelled the team to a BCS Bowl Game appearance.

On September 28, 2024, Doeren coached against NIU for the first time in his career. Following a bitter end to the 2012 campaign, NIU looked to build their momentum in 2013. In front of two sellout crowds, the Huskies increased their NCAA record home win streak to 26 games. Following the conclusion of the regular season, NIU was poised to bust the BCS yet again. They sat 12-0 after cruising through their schedule, #14 in the BCS Standings, and were sitting above an AQ conference champion. Jordan Lynch became the first Huskie ever to be invited to the Heisman trophy ceremony in New York, finishing 3rd. Following their regular season, heartbreak happened for the Huskies. Following the season, 3 Huskies had All-American honors.

Continued Success and Conference Titles (2014-2018)

In 2014, the Huskies had another strong season despite the departure of Heisman finalist Jordan Lynch and NFL draft picks Jimmie Ward and Ken Bishop. NIU beat Big Ten program Northwestern in September and defeated Bowling Green 51-17 in the MAC Championship Game to win their 3rd MAC title in four seasons. They lost the Boca Raton Bowl to Conference USA Champion Marshall 52-23.

In their 3rd game of 2015, the Huskies narrowly lost to defending National Champion and #1 ranked Ohio State 20-13 as 34.5 point underdogs, in a game that the Huskies did not trail until halfway through the 3rd quarter. NIU rattled off six consecutive wins to start MAC play, including a road win against #20 ranked Toledo, and won the MAC West division title for the 6th consecutive season.

In 2018, NIU clinched its first MAC West division title since 2015. The Huskies defeated Buffalo 30-29 in the MAC Championship game after trailing by 19 points in the 3rd quarter. This was NIU's 4th MAC title since 2011. NIU was defeated by UAB 37-13 in the Boca Raton Bowl, giving NIU their 6th consecutive bowl game loss and 5th bowl game under Rod Carey where they were defeated by at least 21 points. Sutton Smith had another strong season, once again leading the nation in tackles for loss (27) and finishing third in sacks (15).

The Thomas Hammock Era: A Return to Roots (2019-Present)

On January 18, 2019, NIU announced the hiring of Thomas Hammock as the new head football coach. Hammock was a running back for the Huskies from 1999 to 2002 and was most recently the running backs coach for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens from 2014 to 2018.

In a pandemic shortened 2020 season, NIU finished 0-6 with one of the youngest teams in the nation. Expectations were low for the 2021 season following a disappointing 2020. Michigan State QB Rocky Lombardi announced that he would be transferring to NIU in December 2020, and he was named the starting QB to enter the season. NIU opened the year as an 18-point underdog to Georgia Tech, but defeated the Yellow Jackets 22-21. This marked their 12th victory over a Power 5 program since 2000 and 8th since 2009.

During the 2024-2025 season, Hammock's sixth year, NIU beat the University of Notre Dame during the Fighting Irish's home opener in South Bend, 16-14, with two interceptions and two blocked kicks.

Future Conference Affiliations (2025-)

The Northern Illinois Huskies football team will be joining the Mountain West Conference as a football-only member in 2026.

Key Facts and Figures

First Season: 1899
All-Time Record: 617-532-51
Conference Titles: 12 (1938, 1944, 1951, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1983, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2021)
Division Titles: 12 (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2021)
Bowl Record: 6-10
Stadium: Huskie Stadium
Head Coach: Thomas Hammock
Athletic Director: Sean Frazier
Mascot: Victor E. Huskie
Colors: Cardinal and Black
Fight Song: "Huskie Fight Song"

tags: #northern #illinois #university #football #history