Coach Joe, Da Man

From the Dec. 23, 2012, Comcast Chicago "Novak thrilled about NIU's success" by Jack McCarthy.

And well he should be.  Without him, we just wouldn't be there.  Imagine finding a coach who has success and decides to stay with the program.  That just doesn't often happen at the Mid-Major level.  Not only do we not get the top high school players, but ant success and the all-important coach at the college level bolts (doerens).

Ex-Northern Illinois coach Joe Novak spent his pre-Christmas on the road visiting kids and grandkids in Cleveland and Bloomington, Indiana.  The coach from 1996-2007 says it's a lock he'll be in Miami this New Year's Night.

Said Novak, "We often thought about championship in the MAC and great years, but I don't think honestly we ever thought about the Orange Bowl.  That was a little bit out of reach for our dreams."

Joe Novak played as a defensive end at Miami of Ohio, and then spent 34 years as an assistant coach at Miami, Illinois, NIU and Indiana before taking over the Huskie reins in 1996.  A team that was on the rise in the early 80s under Bill Mallory, who "doerened" to Indiana, was in the pits.  Probably one of the worst teams in the country.

He was 51 at the time and figured this would be his last coaching job.  In order to get better, NIU had to go to the depths, which really happened the first three years.  Northern was 1-10 in '96, 0-11 in '97 and 2-9 in '98.  Believe me, those were times that tried Huskie souls.

Then, improvement: 6-5 in 2000 and 2001, 8-4 in 2002.  Then came the best-ever, 2003, when NIU beat three BCS teams: Iowa State, #15 Maryland and #21 Alabama.  Posting a 10-2 record, but no BCS bowl game.  And, for that matter, no bowl game at all.

Then, 2004 was a 9-3 season and a MAC West Title and another title in 2005.  In 2006 it was 7-6 and a year in which everything that could go wrong, did, 2-10 in 2007, and retirement.

OK, Joe. This Bowl Is For You.  --RoadDog