Elvis has entered the building. With six seconds left in a tie game, NIU drove down the court. Without a timeout left, Huskie guard Sean Smith pulled up and released a mid-range jumper. The shot was off. But forward Egan Grafel continued to play. The...

Ben Gross: Brandon, I'm putting you in the hot seat. Brandon Mangia: All right. BG: You're Jim Phillips, athletic director of NIU. Who are you going to hire as the new NIU football coach? BM: Right now, I'm looking at a couple of coordinators. I'm especially...

Head football coach Joe Novak is retired and the program is in transition. With all that's going on, it's up to the players to make sure focus remains on next year. Like a big brother looking after his younger siblings when the parents go on vacation,...

With the retirement of Joe Novak, the head coaching vacancy is wide open at this point. A couple popular names that have been thrown around are North Dakota State head coach Craig Bohl and head coach of the Arena Football League's Georgia Force, Doug...

For the second consecutive year, an NIU football player was named the MAC's Most Valuable Player of the year. Defensive end Larry English was honored with the Vern Smith Leadership Award. English is only the third Huskie to receive the honor since its...

I drank five glasses of water before leaving home that morning. Two hours later, I was standing outside, sweating out at least six glasses worth. It was a dog day of summer. There I was in a dress shirt and khakis, patiently waiting the Route 146 bus...

All of Coach Novak's success and a majority of his tenure at NIU came after I graduated. During the two years I did cover him, he couldn't have been more accommodating. Coach always had a kind word, time to talk and an infectious smile. My two fondest...

Head football coach Joe Novak is retired and the program is in transition. With all that's going on, it's up to the players to make sure focus remains on next year. Like a big brother looking after his younger siblings when the parents go on vacation,...

Let the search begin. With the announcement of Joe Novak's retirement Monday, NIU athletics director Jim Phillips has the task of looking for and recruiting a new head coach. "The search process begins tonight," Phillips said at Monday's press conference....

After 12 years at the helm of the NIU football program, head coach Joe Novak announced his retirement Monday afternoon at the Yordon Center. "People have always said, ‘You'll know when it's time,' and I promise you, I know it's time," Novak said....

Last year's Poinsettia Bowl berth seems like a distant memory. The NIU football team wrapped up its injury-filled campaign with a 27-21 Senior Day loss to bowl-hopeful Ball State on Saturday at Huskie Stadium. The Huskies (2-10, 1-6) suffered their worst...

On Nov. 25, 2006, NIU Athletic Director Jim Phillips stood in the corner of the media room in the Convocation Center. His eyes focused on a small TV playing college football. Phillips, along with the rest of the media, waited for then-NIU men's basketball...