Rod Carey
Northern Illinois University has extended the contract of Head Football Coach Rod Carey by one year and will raise Carey’s salary for 2014, NIU Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier announced Friday.
In his first full season as head coach, Carey led the Huskies to the first 12-0 regular season in school history and two victories over Big Ten Conference teams. His contract now runs through June 30, 2019, while his annual salary now ranks in the top half of football coaches in the Mid-American Conference.
“This new agreement is something we’ve been working on for several months and we’re excited to be able to announce the extension for Rod at this time,” Frazier said. “We are looking forward to seeing him on the NIU sidelines for years to come and to the continued success of our football program.”
Carey said he is thankful for the support he receives at NIU.
“I am really happy and excited about where NIU football is and where it’s going,” he said. “I feel very lucky to be a part of it. It takes a community and it’s more about the players and my staff than it is about me. Sean’s leadership along with President Baker is unbelievable. I feel lucky to be working with them and couldn’t think of better partners in this journey that NIU football is taking.”
Carey is the winningest first-year head coach in school history as he led the Huskies to a perfect 12-0 mark in the 2013 regular season. NIU was ranked as high as 14th in the Bowl Championship Series rankings. The Huskies defeated both Iowa and Purdue in September to become the first MAC team to claim two regular season wins over teams from the Big Ten Conference in one year. NIU won the MAC West Division title and played in the Marathon MAC Championship game for the fourth time in as many years before closing out the season in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.
Carey said he is excited to start his second full season at the helm of the NIU program with the 2014 Huskies.
“This spring starts the journey of a brand new team,” Carey said. “It’s a new team with new people and we’ve got to find out who we are. We’re starting that process right now and the next step will be getting back on the field this spring.”
NIU opens 2014 spring practices March 18 and will hold the annual Huskie Bowl (spring game) at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 19, in Huskie Stadium. More information on activities surrounding that day at NIU will be available in March on www.NIUHuskies.com.
