Three new faces will be on the sidelines of Huskie Stadium next fall.

Coach Joe Novak announced Bill Bleil, Denny Doornbos and Sam Pittman as new full-time assistants.

“All three know this level of football extremely well,” Novak said. “Collectively, these gentlemen bring over 60 years of coaching experience – ranging from the Big Ten, Big 12, Conference-USA, Western Athletic Conference and the Big West Conference – to our program. I like this group.”

Bleil brings 21 years of coaching experience to DeKalb including five seasons as head coach at Western Carolina from 1997-’01.

Bleil most recently served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at South Dakota. The Remsen (Iowa) native will succeed Darrell Funk as tight ends coach.

Funk returned to his alma matter Colorado State in February to take an assistant coach job.

Doornbos, a graduate of Western Michigan, will succeed Pat Narduzzi as linebackers coach.

Narduzzi was named defensive coordinator at Miami (Ohio) after three years with the Huskies.

The 43-year-old Doornbos served 15 seasons on the Army football sidelines and in 1982 worked under Bo Schembechler on Michigan’s 8-4 Rose Bowl team.

The final coach added to the NIU football staff was Sam Pittman.

Pittman starts his second tour of duty with the Huskies as offensive line coach. Pittman worked under Charlie Sadler in 1994-’95 and will replace Dan Roushar who headed south for the University of Illinois earlier this spring.

Pittman most recently served under Gary Darnell at Western Michigan in 1999, at the University of Missouri under Larry Smith in 2000 and under Terry Allen at the University of Kansas in 2001.