DeKALB, Ill. – The Huskies open the 2019 season under a new head coach for the first time since 2013 as NIU alum Thomas Hammock was named the school’s new head football coach on Jan. 18, 2019. Hammock replaces Rod Carey, who joined the Temple football program in January, after leading the Huskies program for the past six seasons with four West Division titles (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018) and two Marathon MAC football championships (2014, 2018).
 
Hammock, who surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in rushing yards in both 2000 and 2001 as a Huskie before his career was cut short by a heart condition, is also the only two-time first team Academic All-American in NIU football history. He is the first NIU alum to pilot the Huskies in their history as an FBS program.
 
The Huskies will have another challenging schedule as the 2019 non-conference schedule will once again be one of the toughest in the nation. NIU hosts Illinois State in the opener on Aug. 31 then will travel to Utah (Pac-12) on Sept. 7, Nebraska (Big Ten) on Sept. 14 and Vanderbilt (SEC) on Sept. 28.
 
NIU returns 52 letterwinners and 16 starters (7 offense, 7 defense, 2 specialists) from last year’s MAC Championship team that finished 8-6 overall, including 6-2 in the MAC and the 30-29 win over Buffalo in the 2018 Marathon MAC football championship game and an invitation to the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl.  The new-look Huskies will feature five returning All-MAC players, however with three grad transfers the NIU roster will feature 30 new faces this season.
 
Offensively, junior running back Tre Harbison will pace the rushing game as last season he was named All-MAC Second Team and posted 1,034 yards rushing for the program’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2015. At quarterback, Hammock will have to choose from grad transfer Ross Bowers, who started 13 games at Cal in 2017 and 2018, including 3,039 yards passing as a sophomore in 2017, and last year’s starter Marcus Childers, who threw for 2,175 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Huskies in 2018. Four returning offensive lineman will pave the way for the Huskie offense – Brayden Patton, Christopher Perez, Jordan Steckler and Nathan Veloz.
 
Defensively, the Huskies return their top four tackles from last season.  Senior linebacker Antonio Jones-Davis was named All-MAC First Team last season after posting 130 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.  Senior linebacker Kyle Pugh was named All-MAC Second Team last year and added 106 tackles and five tackles for loss, while senior safety Mykelti Williams was also named All-MAC Second Team in 2018 with his 75 tackles and two interceptions. Senior defensive back Lance Deveaux added 67 tackles and five tackles for loss last season. 

Aug.
31         Illinois State, 7:00 pm ET/6:00 pm CT (ESPN+)
Sep.
7          at Utah, 1:00 pm ET/Noon CT (Pac-12 Networks)
14         at Nebraska, 8:00 pm ET/7:00 pm CT (FS1)
28         at Vanderbilt
Oct.
5          *Ball State
12         *at Ohio, 3:30 pm ET/2:30 pm CT (12-day selection)
19         *at Miami, 2:30 pm ET/1:30 pm CT (12-day selection)
26         *Akron, 3:30 pm ET/2:30 pm CT (12-day selection)
Nov.
2          *at Central Michigan
13         *at Toledo, 8:00 pm ET/7:00 pm CT (ESPN2/ESPNU)
19         *Eastern Michigan, 7:30 pm ET/6:30 pm CT (ESPN2/ESPNU)
26         *Western Michigan, 7:00 pm ET/6:00 pm CT (ESPNU/ESPN+)