Quote:Joe Novak (9), Northern Illinois.

Record: 63-75 overall, 2-10 this year.

Shock value: Substantial. He peeled off seven straight winning seasons from 2000-06, after an eight-year streak of losing seasons that occurred mostly on other coaches' watch. By all accounts this was totally Novak's decision -- though it comes after a couple of Fire Novak Web sites popped up. (Yes, really. In the MAC.)

Capital offense: Surrendering 70 to a Toledo team with a losing record in late October might have soured Novak.

Will he coach again: Not after 40 years in the business.

How good is the job: Not bad, by MAC standards. NIU should reasonably expect to collect second- and third-tier Chicagoland talent. That should allow it to compete in a league that has no entrenched power programs.

Successor: Good spot for an up-and-coming assistant who knows the area, like Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley (10) or Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Haywood (11). Or they could always tap one of the Mallory boys -- Mike at Louisville, Curt at Illinois -- if they want to get back to their Bill Mallory roots.