From winning MAC Coach of the Year in 2002, to getting inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013, former head coach Joe Novak left a mark on Huskie football that won’t be forgotten. As he came into a program that had been underperforming, going 3-8 in 1995 prior to the beginning of the Novak era, Novak knew he had work to do. Looking to find a lifeline and successfully turn NIU football around, he struck gold at the turn of the century. NIU football then followed this success with five consecutive seasons with winning records, going 47-25 with two bowl games in the span of six years. After arguably the most successful run in NIU football coaching history, Novak spent his last year as a head coach in 2007 at the age of 62.