Jerry Pettibone established himself as the first NIU head football coach to string together three consecutive winning seasons since the 1960s with the Huskies 6-5 mark this year.

Pettibone, whose career head-coaching record is 33-32-1 in six seasons at NIU, came to NIU December 6, 1984, from Texas A&M where he had served as an assistant to Jackie Sherrill.

Pettibone started his coaching career at his alma mater, Oklahoma, in 1966 as the Sooners’ freshman coach. He moved to Southern Methodist University in 1971 where he was the recruiting coordinator under current Iowa head coach Hayden Fry. He returned to Oklahoma with one game remaining in the 1971 season as the recruiting coordinator.

He was part of the Sooners’ teams that won six consecutive Big Eight titles from 1973-78, including back-to-back national championships in 1974 and 1975, under head coach Barry Switzer.

At Oklahoma he recruited such All-Americas as Dewey Selmon, Lee Roy Selmon and 1978 Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims.

In 1979, Pettibone moved to Big Eight rival Nebraska as recruiting coordinator, where he served until his stint with Texas A&M. At Nebraska he recruited All-America Irving Fryar and 1983 Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier.

In 1985, Pettibone’s first season as the Huskies’ head coach, his team compiled a record of 4-7. The Huskies suffered the lowest point of Pettibone’s career with a 2-9 mark in 1986.

This was followed by a 5-5-1 mark in 1987, and then the start of the three-season winning streak in 1988 with a 7-4 record, and then his best mark in 1989 at 9-2.

At NIU, Pettibone produced Honorable Mention All-Americas Ron Delisi, Stacey Robinson and Brett Tucker, who is currently with the Houston Oilers.

Pettibone recorded NIU’s first-ever victory against a Big Ten opponent on September 17, 1988, when it defeated Wisconsin 19-17. Earlier this season, NIU demolished then No. 24 Fresno State, 73-18, in Pettibone’s largest margin of victory.