NIU

Relevant observations, pertinent notes, questions, minutiae and Huskie Trivial Pursuit from your local, retired sports information director:

DeKALB – Northern Illinois coach Dave Doeren said the resumé speaks for itself. Mike Dunbar’s 35-year history as a college football coach is full of stops as a play-caller – as an offensive coordinator at Northwestern and Toledo, as a head coach at Northern Iowa.

DeKALB – There was no controversy. Miami men’s basketball coach Charlie Cole knew RedHawks forward Jon Harris’ last-gasp, 45-footer hadn’t beat the buzzer, even if it somehow banked in.

DeKALB – It was an old routine, perfected 11 years and 4,000 miles ago.

DeKALB – Kathi Bennett had just watched her vision take life for two hours on the Convocation Center court.

Former NIU, NFL receiver chooses Bucs over Huskies

In recent conversations with P.J. Fleck, former Northern Illinois coach Joe Novak said his former receiver "hinted" hesitation with his readiness to become a first-time offensive coordinator, but never told him he felt unprepared.

He wasn’t trying to kill the baseball. Just a steady stroke, smooth through the strike zone, solid on the way out – like he’d done thousands of times. Scott Taylor hit a home run in his previous at-bat against Kaneland in the Class 3A Rochelle Sectional semifinals. Here came another. If he could just … hit … the ball … square.

Update 6:55 p.m: According to an NIU news release, P.J. Fleck has resigned as offensive coordinator just one day after taking the job.

DALLAS – Former NFL and Northern Illinois University wide receiver Sam Hurd is scheduled to go on trial April 2 on charges that he tried to create a drug-distribution network, according to a federal judge's order.

DeKALB – A year ago, almost all of Dave Doeren’s assistant coaches were stranded in the local IHOP while he announced his inaugural recruiting class. Buried in a blizzard, they had no choice. Recruiting coordinator Ryan Nielsen was the only one who made it to the news conference.

DeKALB – The Northern Illinois men’s basketball team had virtually no chance to win down the stretch in its 67-58 loss to Ohio on Wednesday night.

DeKALB – There wasn’t a magic number, no set goal of in-state recruits for Northern Illinois football coach Dave Doeren to hit by Wednesday’s signing day.

Missouri QB among 31 signees in Doeren's 2nd recruiting class

Dustin Adams Position: OL

Chandler Harnish still remembers what conversation brought Northern Illinois’ 2007 recruiting class together in their first days on campus.

If social media is a college football recruiting game-changer – as many people associated with the process say it is – the trend never caught on with Desroy Maxwell.

Changes in technology have caused dramatic shifts in recruiting

DeKALB – Its lead had almost evaporated, its shots weren't falling and, for one of the only times Saturday afternoon, Northern Illinois was in trouble.

DeKALB – When Mark Montgomery was hired as the Northern Illinois men’s basketball coach last spring, the first player many fans thought of was Tim Toler.

In what has already been a difficult season, Northern Illinois men’s basketball coach Mark Montgomery announced Thursday that senior forward and leading scorer Tim Toler will no longer be a part of the program.

The Kishwaukee College women’s basketball program once again is participating in the Kay Yow Cancer Fund nationwide breast cancer awareness and fundraising event, Play4Kay/Hoops for Hope, on Feb. 9 in the College gym.

Harnish among 5 former Huskies to play in all-star exhibitions last weekend

KENT, Ohio – Kris Brewer had 15 points to pace five in double figures for the Golden Flashes in a 90-56 rout of Northern Illinois Wednesday night.

AKRON, Ohio – The Northern Illinois women's basketball team ended a six-year drought at Akron with a 72-66 victory Wednesday at Rhodes Arena.

Relevant observations, pertinent notes, questions, minutiae and Huskie Trivial Pursuit from your local, retired sports information director:

Northern Illinois named North Dakota State associate head coach/goalkeepers coach John Ross as its newest women’s soccer coach, NIU announced Tuesday. Ross replaces Carrie Barker, who was let go at the end of her fourth season.

DEKALB – The momentum is gone for the Northern Illinois women’s basketball team.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish rushed for 18 yards and a touchdown and threw for 52 yards for the West squad at the East-West Shrine game Saturday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

DeKALB – Before the comeback attempt, freshman outburst and energy from an abnormally loud, excited and present Convocation Center crowd, there was the fatal run.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Goodbye spread offense, hello pro-style attack.

DeKALB – Mark Montgomery saw DeMarcus Grady’s eyes brighten as soon as he announced the drill. All Montgomery had to say was “rebounding.” Grady knew an opportunity was coming.

John Gordon, the director of Huskie Stadium at Northern Illinois University, said NIU is exploring the possibility of putting in a bid to host the IHSA state football finals.

TOLEDO, Ohio – With a 19-3 run to close the first half, Toledo bettered Northern Illinois, 71-41, on Wednesday night at Savage Arena. Freshman guard Stian Berg and freshman forward Keith Gray each led the Huskies with eight points.

Daily Chronicle sports editor John Sahly and sports reporter Ryan Wood spend their days covering the area’s sports scene. Occasionally, they give their viewpoints on those local sports. In this installment of their 2012 Take 2 column, they discuss Northern Illinois’ men’s and women’s basketball seasons.

Relevant observations, pertinent notes, questions, minutiae and Huskie Trivial Pursuit from your local, retired sports information director:

Northern Illinois coach Dave Doeren didn’t anticipate losing assistants from his staff after one year.

Matt Canada, who spent the past season as Northern Illinois’ offensive coordinator, has accepted the offensive coordinator position at Wisconsin, Badgers coach Bret Bielema announced in a news release Tuesday.

DeKALB – His promise lingered through the past couple weeks, starting a couple days before Northern Illinois opened Mid-American Conference play against Eastern Michigan and repeating regularly.

DeKALB – Close is good. Close means improvement, the ability to be competitive. It signifies a potentially better future.

For the second straight season, Northern Illinois senior DeMarcus Grady will jump from football to basketball. Grady, a five-year member of the NIU football program, has rejoined the Huskies men’s basketball team.

Four Northern Illinois players have been selected for postseason all-star games, the school announced Tuesday.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Northern Illinois men’s basketball team lost to Western Michigan, 77-68, on Wednesday night at University Arena. Senior forward Tim Toler led the way for the Huskies with 15 points on five three-pointers.

Underwood paces DeKalb girls bowling in victory

Samantha Hill isn’t the type who needs to give her teammates a pep talk or be a loud presence on the soccer field. The actions from the Geneva High alumna speak loud enough.

MOBILE, Ala. – In a coach’s world, next season began one second after the final tick of Northern Illinois’ win in the GoDaddy.com Bowl on Sunday.

Despite an 11-win season and a nine-game winning streak, plus a conference title and a bowl victory, the Northern Illinois football team did not finish in the Top 25 in either of the two final major polls that were released Tuesday.

MOBILE, Ala. – His storybook ending had come, and Chandler Harnish was still wearing his pads.

MOBILE, Ala. – In his final Northern Illinois game, Chandler Harnish didn’t run for enough yards to become the first quarterback in Football Bowl Subdivision history to pass for 3,000 and rush for 1,500.

MOBILE, Ala. – Hobbled by a bum ankle, Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish couldn't put on his usual one-man offensive show.

MOBILE, Ala. – One Gatorade bucket wasn’t enough. Not for this moment. Careers were ending. Legacies were being forever cemented. History was about to show these Northern Illinois Huskies were the most successful in program history.

DeKALB – Mark Montgomery didn't need to take a look at the stat sheet to confirm what he saw.

MOBILE, Ala. – Dave Doeren absorbs as much of the college football bowl season as he can. The Northern Illinois coach watches games for professional purpose and personal pleasure. He watches to see how coaches react to situations and manage the clock, and because, at his core, he just loves football.

The sun barely had crept over the Jonesboro, Ark., horizon Wednesday when the Arkansas State football players loaded their bags onto the red and white buses outside ASU Stadium.

When it came time for recruiting in January last year, first-year Northern Illinois football coach Dave Doeren didn’t have much experience to go on when it came to the Huskies.

MOBILE, Ala. – As soon as the plane doors opened, warm air wrapped around Jimmie Ward like a blanket, and teammate Chandler Harnish took off his sweater. He wouldn’t be needing that here. This was the south, where it’s 70 degrees in January. The region is infiltrated by the Gulf Coast, sea food and football. And it has a distinct smell.

Relevant observations, pertinent notes, questions, minutiae and Huskie Trivial Pursuit from your local, retired sports information director:

“Growing up, I didn’t necessarily have the best, I guess you could say, base. Didn’t grow up regular with a mother and father, household and picket fence, all that good stuff. But we definitely made do with what we had. I feel like everybody has their own little niche, everybody has their own story. But to lose a mother and father and to end up the way that I have right now has been incredible.” – Jordan Delegal, Northern Illinois linebacker

CLEVELAND – The Mid-American Conference has shifted in football.

DeKALB – Two days later, there were no tangible signs of change.