Northern Illinois flirted with a second straight BCS bowl game appearance in 2013, and although the Huskies stumbled late and missed out on the big money bowls the future looks bright with head coach Rod Carey in charge. On Friday NIU announced a contract extension for Carey that will have him lined up to lead the program through June 30, 2019.
Carey will also receive a bump in pay in 2014. According to a database of coaching salaries in 2013 compiled by USA Today, Carey was paid a total of $376,000 last season. According to a statement by the school, Carey will be among the top half of the highest paid coaches in the MAC. Going off of last season’s coaching salary numbers, that would mean Carey will be paid between $400,000 and $513,000 in 2014.
“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 [Carey] at this time,” NIU Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Sean T. 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.”
As a first year head coach, Carey was the fourth lowest paid head coach in the MAC. Under Carey, Northern Illinois completed a 12-0 regular season but lost their final two games of the season with a loss to Bowling Green in the MAC Championship Game and to Utah State in the Poinsettia Bowl. Carey also served as interim head coach for the 2013 Orange Bowl at the end of the 2012 season after Dave Doeren left to accept a job offer at North Carolina State.
“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 [Frazier]’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 will now have some work cut out for him in 2014 as the Huskies embark on the post-Jordan Lynch era. Northern Illinois has always seemed to succeed around the play of one key offensive player, so now Carey must find the next name to work around. As far as the MAC goes, the Huskies should be able to remain one of the top threats in the conference in 2014 and beyond. Carey must continue to keep the program chugging forward and building off the momentum of the past two years. Perhaps the program hit their ceiling, but Carey has to avoid hitting the floor. That is not likely to be the case any time too soon.