Glen Krupica is coming home.

NIU Athletics Director Jim Phillips hired Krupica, an NIU alumnus, to be the associate athletics director for external affairs.

For the past 11 years, Krupica was the executive director of the Independence Bowl.

“I think Northern Illinois made a great addition to their staff,” said Pesky Hill, who worked with Krupica for the Independence Bowl. “Glen brings a variety of expertise with him because of his background. He really knows how to motivate, and get the most out of everyone. He puts everyone at ease.”

Hill said he had no idea Krupica was going to leave the Independence Bowl. However, he was not surprised to see Krupica move back to the Chicago area, due to his family living in the area and his desire to work on a college campus again.

“It was a big surprise to me; I was very happy for him personally,” Hill said. “He had shared a lot of things with me, and told me when he was pursued by certain places, but this one came as a surprise. I think Glen would like to be an athletic director someday.”

Krupica graduated from NIU in 1982 and served as the first full-time executive director of the Huskie Club. He then served as the director of development for the Kansas Special Olympics before becoming an assistant athletics director for fundraising at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La.

Missy Setters, the Independence Bowl interim executive director, said it will be tough replacing Krupica due to the respect he has earned over the years.

“He is well-respected in the bowl community, and the Independence Bowl went through tremendous growth while he was here,” Setters said. “He does not demand respect, he commands respect. He has a way of taking everyone’s input and making everyone feel included.”

During his time at the Independence Bowl, Krupica helped increase the payout to teams participating in the bowl, helped negotiate the last two contracts with ESPN, lobbied the state of Louisiana and received $375,000 a year to help fund the bowl, and helped secure funding for a $30 million expansion and renovation of the city-owned stadium where the bowl is played.

“He was very involved in just about everything in the city,” Hill said. “He enjoyed it here. He is going to be successful whatever route he goes. He is really well-respected in college athletics. We hated to lose him, I know that.”