fter back-to-back 11 win seasons, bowl game victories, and this year, a MAC Championship, the coaching carousel has started to spin once again for NIU football.

Head coach Dave Doeren won’t be going anywhere after signing a contract extension that keeps him through the year 2017, but key members of his coaching staff are already being picked off by other programs.

The first to go was running backs and special teams coach Eddie Faulkner. Who, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, was signed by the Pitt Panthers to coach their running backs. This is considered a specialty of Faulkner’s, who used to play tailback behind Ron Dayne at Wisconsin.

Tuesday, according to multiple news outlets, the University of Wisconsin announced that they will be hiring former NIU assistant coach Matt Canada to be their offensive coordinator.

“I’m truly excited for the opportunity to come to Wisconsin,” Canada said in a statement. “It’s a program that I’ve followed closely for a number of years. I’ve always been impressed with their tradition, especially offensively with their style of play, and I can’t wait to be a part of that.”

Canada spent six seasons as an assistant coach for NIU from 1998-2003 under former head coach Joe Novak, before leaving to become the University of Indiana’s quarterbacks coach for seven years.

Canada was re-hired by NIU last winter to be the offensive coordinator, and brought with him the now famous no-huddle offense. This scheme helped NIU finish among the top 12 offenses in the country averaging 476 yards and 38 points per game.

“Matt has a terrific history as an offensive coordinator and has excelled at developing quarterbacks throughout his career,” said Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema in a statement. “I know he is very excited about running a pro-style offense and handling a game the way we typically have at Wisconsin. I think this is a great hire for us and I can’t wait for him to get to work with our coaches and players.”

NIU junior guard Logan Pegram said it wasn’t surprising to see Canada get hired by a Big Ten school.

“If you look at out side of the ball this year, you understand why Wisconsin wanted to hire him,” Pegram said. “He added a new dimension to our offense with the no-huddle and he was able to adapt and tailor his offense to the players he had on the field, and that’s a hallmark of a really good coach.”

Later that day, the Toledo Blade reported that Tom Matukewicz, NIU’s former linebacker’s coach, signed on to be the Toldeo Rockets’ defensive coordinator.

Matukewicz was an assistant coach for seven years at Southern Illinois and came to NIU as a member of former head coach Jerry Kill’s staff in 2008.

After Kill left with most of his staff to take the head coaching position at Minnesota, Matukewicz stayed behind to coach the Huskies to victory in the Humanitarian Bowl. In four years at NIU, Matukewicz was instrumental in turning its defense around.

Pegram said that the fact that Matukewicz signed with a conference rival, it will be hard for most players to get used seeing him on another sideline.

“It’s hard to see him go to Toledo, but he wants to be a head coach someday and this is the best decision for him and his family,” Pegram said. “He was a great asset, a great man and a great person. But it’s just a part of what happens in Division I football; coaches will leave to pursue better opportunities.”

Doeren hired former NFL wide receiver Frisman Jackson on Monday as an offensive coach. It’s unclear what his role with the Huskies will be.

“I am very excited to bring [in Jackson] as a member of our offensive staff,” Doeren said. “I know Fris will be a huge asset, not only as a coach but as a mentor to our players. With his background as a recruiter in Chicago and as a player in the NFL, he brings great experience.”

Jackson, who played in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns from 2002 to 2006 as a wide receiver, spent last year as Akron’s wide receivers coach. He started his collegiate career at NIU as a quarterback before transferring to Western Illinois and setting records as a wide receiver.

“It is great to be able to come back to NIU,” Jackson said in a press release. “To come back now and see what this program has become and what the team has achieved under Joe Novak, Jerry Kill and Dave Doeren is awesome and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

There are more positions to be filled on the coaching staff, but at least for now, Pegram thinks that there won’t be any other coaches that will be leaving NIU.

“Not to my knowledge,” Pegram said. “If it were to happen, it would happen now, at the very end of the season right after the bowl game.”