Northern Illinois Huskies
| Northern Illinois Huskies | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Head coach | subsequent 2nd season, 4–11 (.267) |
| Stadium | Huskie Stadium (Capacity: 23,575) |
| Year built | 1965 |
| Location | DeKalb, IL |
| League | NCAA |
| All-time record | 37–40–0 (.481) |
| Bowl record | 0–3 (.000) |
| Playoff record | 0 |
| Conference titles | 2 (2017, 2018) |
| Division titles | 2 (2017, 2018) |
| Colors | Cardinal and Black |
| Fight song | Huskie Fight Song |
| Mascot | Victor E. Huskie |
| Rivals | Ball State Toledo |
Founded in the 2016 season and coached by LaserCats, the Northern Illinois Huskies began as a CFBHC team playing in the West division of the AAC. In 2017, the team switched conferences from the AAC to the MAC. In 2017, the Huskies defeated Miami OH to win the MAC Championship. In 2018, coach LaserCats led the team to their second consecutive conference title. NIU would select robcarlson77 as head coach for the 2019 season after Lasercats was named head coach at the University of Georgia. After several failed coaching hires, the Huskies decided on Coach subsequent to right the ship.
Contents
History
LaserCats Era (2016-2018)
2016 Season
NIU's inaugural season went better than most expected. The team finished with a 6-1 record in conference play, and earned a bowl bid. They faced NC State in the Mile High Bowl. However, Northern Illinois would go on to lose their bowl game, and move to the Mid-American Conference for the 2017 season. The team's kicker, Wilson Mitchell, would go into the NFL draft after the 2016. Mitchell went undrafted, but was signed as a UDFA by the Philadelphia Eagles prior to the start of the 2017 NFL season.
2017 Season
2017 marked the Huskies first season as part of the Mid-American Conference. Northern Illinois was considered by most to be the front-runner to win the MAC. The Huskies faced tough competition in the West division, but were able to clinch the West division title by defeating Eastern Michigan, the other top team in the West, in Week 14. After finishing undefeated within the conference, NIU faced the Miami Redhawks in the conference championship. The Huskies won the game in a tight defensive battle, beating the Redhawks 12-10.
2018 Season
robcarlson77 Era (2019)
2019 Season
Noobie Era (2020)
subsequent Era (2020-present)
2020 Season
2021 Season
2022 Season
All-time record vs. MAC opponents
These are the Huskies' football records against current Mid-American Conference opponents through the 2021 season.
| School | Total Games | W | L | T | Pct. | PF | PA | First Year | Last Year | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 27 | 3 | 2018 | 2018 | W1 |
| Ball State | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | .800 | 137 | 110 | 2017 | 2021 | L1 |
| Bowling Green | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 24 | 20 | 2017 | 2021 | L2 |
| Buffalo | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 86 | 123 | 2017 | 2021 | W1 |
| Central Michigan | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 93 | 76 | 2017 | 2021 | L2 |
| Eastern Michigan | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 121 | 109 | 2017 | 2021 | L3 |
| Kent State | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 65 | 82 | 2019 | 2021 | W1 |
| Miami (OH) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 36 | 31 | 2017 | 2017 | W2 |
| Ohio | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 17 | 3 | 2018 | 2018 | W1 |
| Toledo | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 | 51 | 129 | 2017 | 2021 | L4 |
| Western Michigan | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 77 | 99 | 2017 | 2021 | L3 |
| 11 Opponents | 39 | 20 | 19 | 0 | .513 | 734 | 785 | 5 Seasons |
Season-by-Season Records
| Coach(es) | Conference | Year | Record | Bowl | Final CP Ranking | |
| Wins | Losses | |||||
| Northern Illinois Huskies | ||||||
| LaserCats | 2016 | AAC | 8 | 5 | Lost Mile High Bowl vs NC State (28-42) | NR |
| 2017 | MAC | 11 | 3 | Lost Camellia Bowl vs UCF (17-35) | NR | |
| 2018 | 9 | 5 | Lost Land of 10,000 Lakes Bowl vs #16 Maryland (28-31) | NR | ||
| robcarlson77 | 2019 | 4 | 8 | - | NR | |
| Noobie | 2020 | 1 | 4 | - | NR | |
| N/A | 0 | 4 | - | NR | ||
| subsequent | 1 | 2 | - | NR | ||
| 2021 | 3 | 9 | - | NR | ||
| - | 2022 | - | - | - | NR | |
| Total | 37 | 40 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bowl games
The Huskies have appeared in four bowl games, posting a record of 1-2.
| Season | Bowl | Opponent | Result | ||
| 2016 | Mile High Bowl | NC State | Lost, 28-42 | ||
| 2017 | Camellia Bowl | UCF | Lost, 17-35 | ||
| 2018 | Land of 10,000 Lakes Bowl | Maryland | Lost, 28-31 | ||
| Total | 3 Bowl Games | 0–3 | |||
History and Awards
Head Coaches
| Coach | Years | Seasons | Record | Pct | Cnf. Record | Pct | Cnf. Titles | Bowls | Nat. Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaserCats | 2016-2018 | 3 | 28-13 | .683 | 19-2 | .905 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| robcarlson77 | 2019 | 1 | 4-8 | .333 | 2-5 | .286 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Noobie | 2020 | 1 | 1-4 | .200 | 0-2 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| subsequent | 2020–present | 4th season | 4-11 | .267 | 3-8 | .273 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Individual Award Winners
Players
All-Americans
1st Team All-AAC Players
- 2016
- CB Robert Morris
- PR Calvin Hayes
1st Team All-MAC Players
- 2017
- WR/KR/PR Calvin Hayes
- OG Greg Coughlin
- DT Russel Brandt
- CB Robert Morris
- SS Hunter Mackey
- 2018
- QB Andrew Davis
- WR Dave Parker
- OT Joshua Brown
- CB Robert Morris (as PR/KR)
- 2020
- 2021
