Top 5 sports stories of the 2004-05 school year… as voted on by the Northern Star sports staff. With many big events throughout the school year, many notable stories were left off the list.

After spending more than 20 years in the NIU athletics department, former athletics director Cary Groth departed DeKalb in March 2004 for the University of Nevada at Reno.

Following a five-month search, NIU announced on Aug. 23 that the new athletics director would be Jim Phillips, the former associate athletic director at Notre Dame.

An NIU alumna, Groth spent 23 years at NIU, culminating in her 10-year run as athletics director. But when she was offered the AD position at Nevada-Reno, Groth decided the opportunity to rebuild another program was too good to pass up.

In his first year as the top athletics administrator, Phillips has had a busy year overseeing NIU’s athletic teams.

Through extensive joint lobbying efforts alongside MAC officials, Phillips helped secure NIU football’s first bowl game since 1983. The Huskies went on to defeat Troy 34-21 in the Silicon Valley Football Classic on Dec. 30.

Significant personnel turnover has also become a trend in the past year. Phillips has overseen the hiring of a new track and field coach (Connie Teaberry), a new women’s basketball coach (Carol Owens), and soon a new women’s soccer coach (to be announced).