DeKALB | The NIU football coaching carousel has made its final stop.

The Huskies Thursday named Arizona State offensive coordinator Roy Wittke to the same position for the Huskies. Before coaching at ASU for one season, Wittke, a Wisconsin native, spent three years at Arkansas and 13 years at Eastern Illinois.

“I would have been happy with any of the four coaches we interviewed, but you have to make a decision, and we did,” NIU head coach Joe Novak said. “The biggest thing for me is getting coaches that mesh well together.”

After coaching the Sun Devils to the 27th best rushing offense and the 42nd ranked total offense last season, Wittke is happy to be back in the Midwest.

“I’m thrilled to death to be here and to get an opportunity with such a quality program,” Wittke said. “I’m excited to work for an outstanding person like Coach Novak with the excellent staff he has assembled here.”

Wittke will lead new coaches P.J. Fleck (wide receivers), Chris Beatty (running backs), Harold Etheredge (offensive line) and the only returnee, tight ends coach Greg Bower, on the offensive side of the football next season.

“It feels great to finally have all the coaches on board,” Novak said. “This is the time of year you want to look back and evaluate last year.”

Under the direction of Wittke, Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones earned All-Southeastern Conference honors in 2005 and set an SEC record for most rushing yards in a season by a quarterback.

Despite such an impressive resume, the Huskies won’t be making any big changes on the offense.

“The basis, the terminology, the main part of our offense is not going to change,” Novak said. “[There will be] no wishbone offense, and we aren’t going to throw it a hundred times a game.”