DeKALB – It  may have been the most hectic weekend in the history of the Northern Illinois University sports program. On Friday, Nov. 21, the Huskies defeated Kent State, 44-37, in double overtime to win their second straight Mid-American Conference championship. The next day, head coach Dave Doeren announced he was leaving to take a position with North Carolina State University. On Sunday, Nov. 23, the Huskies introduced his replacement just 15 minutes before learning they had won the right to play in the Discover Orange Bowl, the first time a MAC team had ever earned that honor.

The Huskies’ new head coach is Rod Carey, 42, who has spent the past two seasons on the Huskies’ coaching staff.

“When you have a program like this, it’s not about what you can change; it’s about what you can keep,” NIU’s 22nd head coach said. “We’ve got great players and we want to keep this ball rolling.”