NIU wideout Nathan Palmer didn’t realize that a tennis ball could improve his skill set as a football player.

That was until his first workout with his new wide receivers coach, Bob Cole.

Having 22 years of collegiate experience under his belt, Cole has gathered enough drills and experience to write his own “Football For Dummies” manual.

“It’s been a pretty good ride,” Cole said. “I’ve been to a lot of different places. I’ve met a lot of good people. I’ve learned a lot of offenses, and I’ve been around a lot of good players.”

Cole inherits a group of receivers that made major strides last season.

“A lot of teams overlooked us as a good receiving core,” Palmer said. “This year, we want to let people know that it wasn’t a fluke last year; that we’re a great receiving core.”

Palmer, Willie Clark and Martel Moore emerged as threats down the field for quarterback Chandler Harnish in 2010. But that doesn’t mean Cole will allow his receivers to settle on that success. “They can’t be satisfied with how they’re playing,” Cole said. “Everyday you get better at something and that’s what we try to emphasize.”

Learning and getting better will coincide with Cole as a receivers coach, as this will be his first year coaching the position. But after working as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at previous stops, it’s all football to him, no matter what his title is.

“If you’re coaching the quarterbacks, you’re coaching the whole offense,” Cole said. “You better have a pretty good idea of what everybody is doing.”

Palmer went on to say that Cole coaches like a “technician.” After their initial workout together, Palmer and the rest of the Huskie receivers watched film of themselves running routes. Cole broke down what they did wrong but also highlighted what they did right.

Palmer said early workouts have given an advantage for Cole and his teammates, as both parties know a little bit about each other before they start spring practice on March 22.

“The little things we got away with, like not running different techniques within the routes and not doing certain things when we block, he’s on it,” Palmer said.

NIU has its goal set for the upcoming season: get back to the MAC Championship. It’s especially important for Palmer, who had dropped a 47-yard pass from Harnish during the Huskies’ heartbreaking 26-21 loss to Miami (OH).  

“Whatever we have to do, and the little things we can find out what we weren’t doing right last year, a lot of us are embracing it,” Palmer said. “Because that was just a bad taste left in our mouth from not winning that game.”

Cole feels if Palmer and the rest of the receivers keep putting forth the right work ethic, they’ll make that trip back to Ford Field.

“I think if they handle their business, and they’ve definitely done that so far, then you’ll see them get better week by week,” Cole said. “If everything goes according to plan, we’ll be back there.”