Sometimes it just feels like the right call. Other times, not so much.

As Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Doeren, 39, was named the new head football coach at Northern Illinois on Monday afternoon, everything felt right.

The match of NIU and Doeren fits like a glove.

Doeren is not fan favorite P.J. Fleck and that might be a good thing. The reality is Fleck has been nothing more than a position coach at NIU and Rutgers, while Doeren has led one of the Big Ten’s best defenses since 2006. Nothing personal against Fleck, but Doeren is the right man for the job and Fleck’s time will come.

The most striking thing on Doeren’s resume isn’t necessarily his success at Wisconsin, but his success throughout his career. Plain and simple, the guy is a winner.

In 16 seasons as position coach, graduate assistant, defensive coordinator, Doeren is 134-65-1 with one FCS (formerly Division II-A) championship and eight bowl games under his belt, including a Rose Bowl appearance this coming January.

This year’s Badger defense is among the nation’s least penalized, so expect the Huskies to be disciplined as well.

The biggest concern surrounding Doeren is what kind of staff he can assemble. Will he keep current staff? Recruit some people from Wisconsin?

That’s all in the works for the first-time head coach.

He hasn’t ruled out anything; even bringing former Huskies, who know NIU and DeKalb, back to the family. This could include Fleck. It could include 2003 offensive coordinator Matt Canada, whose name has been thrown around. That’s all speculation of course, nothing is set in stone yet.

What is set in stone is a new chapter of NIU football. One that begins with a young head coach, with Midwest and Big Ten recruiting ties, and a history of winning and dedication.

A dedication to NIU that had Doeren digging his car out of a Wisconsin blizzard just to make it to DeKalb on Sunday.

There’s something about that story — a DeKalb-bound coach digging out of a blizzard — that just feels right.