Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Joe Novak
One last note, this Friday night, 4/25, there will be an open house at the Yordon Center in honor of Joe and Carole Novak. If you aren't able to make it to the "Night of Champions" on Saturday night, in honor of the Novaks, attending Friday at the open house would be a great way to honor Coach Novak and his years of dedication to NIU.
Accomplishments at NIU
-endured through 23 game losing streak, only to experience...
-seven straight winning seasons
-four MAC West Division championships
-two bowl appearances, Silicon Valley 2004 & San Diego Poinsettia 2006
-five all-Americans
-forty two first team All-MAC selections
-wins over BCS programs including @Alabama, Wake Forest, Maryland, Iowa State
-initial BCS ranking of #10 in 2003
-top 25 appearances in 2003, 2004
-MAC Championship game 2005
-nine straight seasons with an 1,000 yard rusher
-two Heisman Memorial Trophy Candidates
-coached nation's leading rushers (Garrett Wolfe, Michael Turner)
Football is Back!!!
However, SPRING IS HERE! Actually, it feels to me like we just completely bypassed spring and skipped right to summer. Last couple of days have been hot and humid, hopefully this will be payback for our horrible winter.
The annual Spring Football Game is this Saturday, 4/26!!! Hopefully the weather will be beautiful, as I hope to tailgate with some friends! According to Coach Kill from this week's IHS, look for more of a practice type "game". With all of our injuries, it is a must to make sure everyone stays healthy closing out the spring. I believe WR Marcus Perez went down with an ankle injury this week, lets hope nothing serious. At the Spring Game, they will be selling super cheap $8 tickets for the home opener against Indiana State!
Also, NIU will be offering a 3 game mini package for football this season! The games will be versus Indiana State, Miami, and Navy. Look for more information on NIUHuskies.com
Construction has officially begun on the new Track/Soccer complex west of Huskie Stadium!
One final news bit, Ricardo Patton made a huge splash in signing G Xavier Silas from Colorado! An orginial Patton recruit at Colorado, Silas averaged over ten points as a true freshman in the Big 12. Silas will have to sit out the 2008-09 year, but look for him to be tearing up MAC opponents in 2009-10!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
NEW Athletic Director!!!
College:
James Madison University, 1980 Bachelor of Science
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, 1982 Master of Science
FamilyWife: Cathy (Fatica)Children: Sons CJ (15) and David (13)
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
Age: 49
Collegiate Administrative Experience :
University of Washington
• Executive Associate Athletics Director
2004-08
Western Carolina University
• Director of Athletics
2000-04
Vanderbilt University
• Senior Associate Director of Athletics
1998-2000
• Associate Director of Athletics
1996-98
North Carolina State University
• Assistant to the Chancellor
1994-96
• Director of the Chancellor's Circle
1993-94
• Assistant Director of Athletics
1986-92
• Assistant Director of Housing and Residence Life
1982-86
Career Highlights:
*While at Washington, hired several senior-level administrators, including head football coach Tyrone Willingham.
*Was a part of two national championships at Washington with women's volleyball (2005) and men's crew (2007).
*Supervised the Washington men's basketball team that earned a No. 1 seed in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
*Was a member of the Husky Stadium Renovation Committee and played a key role in the building of the University of Washington Football Legends Center.
*Supervised all facilities and capital projects, event and game operations at Washington along with student-athlete support areas of athletic training, strength and conditioning, video services and equipment.
*Responsible for the overall day-to-day management of the University of Washington program that consistently ranks in the top 30 of the U.S. Sports Academy Director's Cup.
*While at Western Carolina, led the construction effort for a new west side for E.J. Whitmire Football Stadium, new strength and conditioning center, new track/soccer and tennis complex and developed the plans for the now-completed softball stadium.
*Hired future BCS coaches Todd Raleigh (baseball, Tennessee) and Beth Dunkenberger (women's basketball, Virginia Tech) at Western Carolina.
*While at Vanderbilt, was responsible for all external operations within the Department of Athletics.
*Established the first-ever student-athlete life skills program in the North Carolina State athletics department.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
NIU Track & Field 2nd Place Finish at Chicagoland Championships
An update on the Bristan Kelley football experiment, the coaching staff has moved him to defensive end from tight end. With all the injuries on the defensive line last year, the coaches wanted to see if the 6' 6" 245 pounder could play the end. The link for the Daily Chronicle article also has some good information on former Huskie two-sport athletes.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Basketball Forward...Turned Tight End???
Friday, March 28, 2008
Big Huskie Weekend!
Last, but not least...here are some pictures I snapped of Huskie Stadium tonight. The doors to the Yordon Center and West Grandstand we're unlocked...I swear!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
NIU Defeats Iowa Hawkeyes 5-4
So we finally beat Iowa in something! Ever since the "soldier field showdown", I've been longing for a NIU victory over the Hawkeyes. Although football would be nice, a baseball W will hold me over until the next NIU-Iowa football showdown.
Today's trivia...what Huskie ran for 306 yards on 32 carries at Iowa in 1993?
And the answer is...LeShon Johnson! (seen with Arizona Cardinals above)
LeShon "Cowboy" Johnson, entered the Iowa game as the NCAA's leading rusher. Johnson had already racked up 85 yards on the ground by halftime. Respectable, right? Meanwhile, in the radio booth, Ed Podolak - former star Iowa halfback - said that, "LeShon Johnson is one of the three best running backs in the nation, but Tyrone Wheatley is better". Northwestern's Wheatley had rushed for 115 yards versus Iowa earlier in the season...
WELL, the "cowboy" must have been listening to the Hawkeye halftime show in the locker room, because he came out in the second half and blazed the Iowa Hawkeyes for 221 more yards on the ground, giving him 306 yards on the day, including an 81 yard touchdown run! Johnson went on to finish 6th in the Heisman voting that season!
Johnson was taken in the 3rd round by the (I just threw up in my mouth) Green Bay Packers. The cowboy ran for over 600 yards in 1996 with the Arizona Cardinals. In 1998, Johnson survived a serious bout with Lymphoma Cancer, and returned to the NFL in 1999 to start 4 games for the NY Giants.
Enough of the history lesson, For EXTRA EXTRA credit, what football conference did the Huskies play in that season?
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Ahhh...Spring Football is Here!!!
Friday, March 21, 2008
New Track/Soccer Facility
"The existing soccer field and practice soccer field on the west side of Stadium Drive West will be the site of the new NCAA track and field and artificial turf soccer field. The project will commence as early as April 1, 2008, and will be substantially completed by August 15, 2008, with the possibility of the track surface taking longer based on the summer weather."
"The major elements of the project include:
- An 8-lane NCAA compliant track
- A FIFA II star artificial turf soccer field
- Field event pads/cages and throwing range
- Outbuilding for storage
- Track and field event lighting
- Extensive fencing and gates"
This info was taken from...
http://www.procure.stateuniv.state.il.us/dsp_notice.cfm?Uni=NIU&PN=SMO30608
This will reap major benefits for NIU's entire athletic program, as it is somewhat laughable for a division one school not to have a track. Especially one that supports a track & field team. Also, if Chicago receives the 2016 Olympic Games, NIU has already been included in the plans as a site for preliminary round soccer matches. Although the prelim games would be played in Huskie Stadium, the new soccer/track facility would be a great place for the teams to practice.
In other news, TODAY SUCKS. The weather is horrible, and I don't think I'll be able to make it back to Rockford for the IceHogs game tonight. One more note, if you read, please comment! Let me know what you think and what you want me to write on!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Spring is here! Wait...
BUT...and that's a big but, weather.com is calling for a possible 4-6 inch snowfall on friday, with temperatures hovering around 30 degrees all day. This sucks because my GF and her mom and sister we're supposed to come for a little visit that day! And...I was going to go home to watch the IceHogs! I guess we'll just play it by ear.
Finally, here is a funny picture for the day...it brings me back to my basketball days in middle school/high school. And just to give you a visual...I wasn't the tall guy. Sad thing about this is that 7' 7" Kenny George is from Chicago! Where were you Rob Judson!