(10-11-2026 04:57 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  My resources tell me Rod Carey is gonna be the AD

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

NIU has one shot at a win and thats UTEP, a winless season if that does not happen

(10-11-2026 05:07 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  

(10-11-2026 04:41 PM)mustangfootball2004 Wrote:  Technically, Harleys and Fraziers contract expire on the same day.

Fazier is going to collect a very nice SURS pension for the rest of his life.

I can't think of anyone that has done less in 13 years. He's been here longer than Phillips and Compher combined but no one has come to take him from us.

Frazier is late 50s/60. Freeman is mid 60s. Executives at those ages (especially with announced contract ends) never make big changes, they ride it out. Those are good salaries and pensions to feed their inflated egos.

There has to be a better way to manage an institution. I worked in big financial/trading companies and consulting companies, and it seemed they do no let senior execs stay around like this. If you had nothing to offer to move the company forward (aka profits), you were embarrassed by being past over and your kingdom taken away so you'd leave, or just plain let go with a nice severance. Of course they had compensation with another 0 when compared to NIU's execs. Even guys with big accomplishments get the 'what have you done lately' treatment, they are gone quickly.

Seems like institutions like a NIU just don't react to competitive threats and the need to continually make changes, there is a lot of 'coasting along'. Guess it's just another symptom of politics.

One more thought - if they are going to make a change (I'll go along but am not convinced), the optimal time to start is right about...NOW!

Bad coaches start to get dismissed about now, interim ones named, and new coaches should be in place about the Thanksgiving period to best position for the portal and recruiting periods. NOW is this time to start looking, but, I can't see Frazier making this happen. If there is a search occurring my guess is we'd have heard rumors about this by now.

What's the incentive to make change? Freeman is on the way out. All of this weighs on STFs desire to win games, which I believe he does.

I don't think we will fire an interim head coach to put in an interim head coach. Let's be honest, this was a tough sell, no matter who was heading the program. We might have faired a little better with someone else, but this was not a championship team.

Just sit back and let this one ride out. Growth starts at the end of the season.

(10-11-2026 07:23 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  What's the incentive to make change? Freeman is on the way out. All of this weighs on STFs desire to win games, which I believe he does.

I don't think we will fire an interim head coach to put in an interim head coach. Let's be honest, this was a tough sell, no matter who was heading the program. We might have faired a little better with someone else, but this was not a championship team.

Just sit back and let this one ride out. Growth starts at the end of the season.

Growth only starts when the last inch of STF’s arse is out the door. Not before that, even if a new stellar coach is sent by the angels. No matter what coach or players come in, nothing will change as long as STF still parks his arse in the AD’s plush chair.

Unfortunately, nobody is winning with this roster. We’ve played one of the toughest schedules in the country thus far with a bunch of dudes from NAIA, JUCO, D2, D3 and true freshman. Did anyone honestly think we were going to compete with that?

I’m not saying Harley and his staff have been great by any means, but we have ZERO to work with. outside of Telly, Dearee, Tiger and a few others, the talent gap is just too big.

Hell, at this point, we need to switch the wishbone offense like the military schools and just be great it. It’s the great equalizer and unfortunately we need that right now unless we get a serious injection of money and NIL.


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(10-11-2026 07:44 PM)NIU32 Wrote:  Unfortunately, nobody is winning with this roster. We’ve played one of the toughest schedules in the country thus far with a bunch of dudes from NAIA, JUCO, D2, D3 and true freshman. Did anyone honestly think we were going to compete with that?

I’m not saying Harley and his staff have been great by any means, but we have ZERO to work with. outside of Telly, Dearee, Tiger and a few others, the talent gap is just too big.

Hell, at this point, we need to switch the wishbone offense like the military schools and just be great it. It’s the great equalizer and unfortunately we need that right now unless we get a serious injection of money and NIL.


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It the line play on both sides of the ball. Stunned how bad the LB play.

I get he was trying to make this their own team but now his “US vs. them” was divisive and took away from our “Hardway branding momentum” and it is confusing to players and national branding with the double competing mottos .. that again is on Harley .. why are we always self sabotaging ourselves once something finally works … oh well I think the balance for our sports will come with a great basketball team this year ..

Dave Doeren fired after 14 years

Shouldn't this thread be titled, let Harley's contract run out?

Here's the tale of tape (I also posted elsewhere where appropriate).

Attendance (=local draw=$$)

Official tabs:
--- Illinois State 17582 ... 28-24 loss
--- Air Force (Homecoming) 15292 ... 28-7 loss
--- Hawai'i (Hall of Fame weekend) 7560 ... 56-21 loss

A 10,000 drop in just three games, all with good weather and on Saturdays.

(10-24-2026 07:43 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  Shouldn't this thread be titled, let Harley's contract run out?

I don't care what we call it - just get Harley out (the sooner the better)!

(10-24-2026 08:19 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  Here's the tale of tape (I also posted elsewhere where appropriate).

Attendance (=local draw=$$)

Official tabs:
--- Illinois State 17582 ... 28-24 loss
--- Air Force (Homecoming) 15292 ... 28-7 loss
--- Hawai'i (Hall of Fame weekend) 7560 ... 56-21 loss

A 10,000 drop in just three games, all with good weather and on Saturdays.

As I’ve said previously, the MW wasn’t going to be the magic bullet for fixing our attendance woes the athletics department probably thought it’d be.

0-7 doesn’t help, but the athletic department is inept at everything - marketing, game day experience, sales, etc.

(10-24-2026 08:45 PM)DiehardHuskie Wrote:  

(10-24-2026 08:19 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  Here's the tale of tape (I also posted elsewhere where appropriate).

Attendance (=local draw=$$)

Official tabs:
--- Illinois State 17582 ... 28-24 loss
--- Air Force (Homecoming) 15292 ... 28-7 loss
--- Hawai'i (Hall of Fame weekend) 7560 ... 56-21 loss

A 10,000 drop in just three games, all with good weather and on Saturdays.

As I’ve said previously, the MW wasn’t going to be the magic bullet for fixing our attendance woes the athletics department probably thought it’d be.

0-7 doesn’t help, but the athletic department is inept at everything - marketing, game day experience, sales, etc.

But they are oh so good at spewing out the rah-rah bullsh!t.

(10-24-2026 08:45 PM)DiehardHuskie Wrote:  

(10-24-2026 08:19 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  Here's the tale of tape (I also posted elsewhere where appropriate).

Attendance (=local draw=$$)

Official tabs:
--- Illinois State 17582 ... 28-24 loss
--- Air Force (Homecoming) 15292 ... 28-7 loss
--- Hawai'i (Hall of Fame weekend) 7560 ... 56-21 loss

A 10,000 drop in just three games, all with good weather and on Saturdays.

As I’ve said previously, the MW wasn’t going to be the magic bullet for fixing our attendance woes the athletics department probably thought it’d be.

0-7 doesn’t help, but the athletic department is inept at everything - marketing, game day experience, sales, etc.

A winning team papers over all of that. People will show up to see winners win, no matter how crappy your stadium is, no matter if you run out of hotdogs, no matter if your scoreboard doesn’t work. You don’t have to market or sell a winning team. It sells itself.

Nah. $40 for a ticket and $30 for parking is absurd.

I heard there was some huge cheer competition in the Convo today and the lot was full? What if we would have had a big crowd? Who’s the genius that scheduled that?

Certainly, going 0–7 is a legitimate reason to move on from the current head coach. Ultimately, the head coach is responsible for the team's results. However, I have several questions about the overall state of the program that deserve consideration.

1. What shape was the program in before Harley took over?

The January 28, 2026, interview with Coach Thomas Hammock on Frazier's Corner was certainly unusual, especially considering he left just 20 days later.

Frazier's Corner Interview With Thomas Hammock

What was happening behind the scenes, and how much of the program's current problems predated Harley being name head coach?

Remember NIU went 3 - 9 in 2025. Were we on an upward or downward trajectory?

2. Why have two offensive coordinators?

Having two offensive coordinators raises questions about leadership, responsibility, and accountability. Could this arrangement have created confusion for players and other staff members and negatively affected the offense?

3. Does the team have enough talent to compete in the Mountain West?

There have been complaints on this board about the number of FCS transfers brought in through the transfer portal. Were these players good enough to compete at the Mountain West level? While the team certainly has some talented players, there are also noticeable weaknesses. What is the true talent level of this roster?

4. Would another head coach achieve significantly better results with this roster?

Some coaches might do better, but how much better given they would have started after February 28, 2026? Could another coach realistically take this team to a bowl game by winning six or more games, or would the result be one to three wins? If a new coach produced only one to three wins, would this board be calling for another coaching change? I suspect it would.

5. Is Harley fully responsible?

Harley took over a team that was not his. He may have had input on the defensive side, but he inherited players he had not recruited. If the roster lacks Mountain West-level talent, how realistic was it to expect him to turn things around quickly? Would Hammock have had a better season?

6. Were there other viable candidates available when the interim coach was named on February 18?

Naming an interim coach at that point presented a difficult situation. Given that most other coaching positions had already been filled, were there genuinely qualified candidates available who could have done a better job under those circumstances?

7. Did we address the 2025 issues in 2026?

We brought in an additional offensive coordinator and quarterback to address the 2025 offensive issues. While improved, many other issues throughout the team popped up.

My point is not that going 0–7 is acceptable. It isn't. The head coach must be held accountable for the results. However, before concluding that replacing the coach will solve all of this team's problems, we should also examine the roster, the coaching structure, the circumstances surrounding the transition, and the overall condition of the program.

Does NIU have the resources to quickly improve the team through the transfer portal? What is the turnaround time to make NIU competitive? What other areas do you think need to be addressed?

HUSKIE FOOTBALL FAN...great post!

(10-24-2026 11:00 PM)HUSKIEFOOTBALLFAN Wrote:  Certainly, going 0–7 is a legitimate reason to move on from the current head coach. Ultimately, the head coach is responsible for the team's results. However, I have several questions about the overall state of the program that deserve consideration.

1. What shape was the program in before Harley took over?

The January 28, 2026, interview with Coach Thomas Hammock on Frazier's Corner was certainly unusual, especially considering he left just 20 days later.

Frazier's Corner Interview With Thomas Hammock

What was happening behind the scenes, and how much of the program's current problems predated Harley being name head coach?

Remember NIU went 3 - 9 in 2025. Were we on an upward or downward trajectory?

2. Why have two offensive coordinators?

Having two offensive coordinators raises questions about leadership, responsibility, and accountability. Could this arrangement have created confusion for players and other staff members and negatively affected the offense?

3. Does the team have enough talent to compete in the Mountain West?

There have been complaints on this board about the number of FCS transfers brought in through the transfer portal. Were these players good enough to compete at the Mountain West level? While the team certainly has some talented players, there are also noticeable weaknesses. What is the true talent level of this roster?

4. Would another head coach achieve significantly better results with this roster?

Some coaches might do better, but how much better given they would have started after February 28, 2026? Could another coach realistically take this team to a bowl game by winning six or more games, or would the result be one to three wins? If a new coach produced only one to three wins, would this board be calling for another coaching change? I suspect it would.

5. Is Harley fully responsible?

Harley took over a team that was not his. He may have had input on the defensive side, but he inherited players he had not recruited. If the roster lacks Mountain West-level talent, how realistic was it to expect him to turn things around quickly? Would Hammock have had a better season?

6. Were there other viable candidates available when the interim coach was named on February 18?

Naming an interim coach at that point presented a difficult situation. Given that most other coaching positions had already been filled, were there genuinely qualified candidates available who could have done a better job under those circumstances?

7. Did we address the 2025 issues in 2026?

We brought in an additional offensive coordinator and quarterback to address the 2025 offensive issues. While improved, many other issues throughout the team popped up.

My point is not that going 0–7 is acceptable. It isn't. The head coach must be held accountable for the results. However, before concluding that replacing the coach will solve all of this team's problems, we should also examine the roster, the coaching structure, the circumstances surrounding the transition, and the overall condition of the program.

Does NIU have the resources to quickly improve the team through the transfer portal? What is the turnaround time to make NIU competitive? What other areas do you think need to be addressed?

Would a new coach not fix everything? Staff, players and everything can be fixed with new coach.

Hammock has hired the worst staffs we have seen in 20 years. This is all on hammock - Harley sucks, but hammock is the fool who ran this ship aground then left