Marengo native Josh Holst to battle for NIU's QB1 job in the spring
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Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
College Football Coach Issues Reality Check on Transfers and NIL
College Football Coach Issues Reality Check on Transfers and NIL originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Yesterday evening, at his weekly press conference, Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock was asked if he had thoughts on making the transfer portal 'more fair.' His response has been making waves across social media. By January earlier this year, the Huskies had already seen 19 players enter the portal, underscoring just how challenging roster management has become for smaller programs. 'You know, we lost all these guys. See who plays. So it's all good when people put it on Twitter… How many of those guys going to play or travel or get snaps?' Hammock said. He recalled his own experience, going through college without a dime, and the lessons he learned that shaped his life far beyond football. Hammock is especially concerned with what he sees as a shift in focus among players and families. 'People are losing the fact that this is short-term. Get your degree. Learn valuable lessons that will help you in the long-term of your life… If you're going to college to go get a couple of dollars, might as well go get a job,' he said. Hammock's perspective is grounded in a life shaped by football and resilience. A two-time All-American running back for NIU, he ran for over 1,000 yards in both his sophomore and junior seasons. His playing career was cut short due to a heart condition with a season of eligibility remaining. He immediately turned to coaching, starting as a graduate assistant at Wisconsin before moving on to coach running backs at NIU and Minnesota, returning to the Badgers again, and even serving on John Harbaugh's staff in the NFL. Since taking over at his alma mater in 2021, Hammock has consistently defied expectations. Northern Illinois was picked to finish last in the MAC in his first season, yet the Huskies won the league with a 9-5 mark. Over the next three seasons, Hammock has led NIU to two bowl games and a pair of bowl wins, cementing a reputation for overachieving against the odds. The Huskies have also felt the impact of the transfer portal firsthand. After an 8-5 season that included a stunning victory at Notre Dame, NIU lost top-tier talent, including its starting quarterback, two lead running backs, and multiple four-star receivers. Even former defensive coordinator Nick Benedetto moved on. Hammock had to rebuild aggressively, bringing in 13 new players and hiring Quinn Sanders, former Charleston coach, to orchestrate an offense that can thrive even with limited returning production. Despite the challenges, Hammock remains confident in his program. NIU has adapted by targeting transfers from FCS and Division II programs while also attracting players from Power 4 schools. With consecutive bowl wins under his belt and a move to the Mountain West on the horizon, Hammock believes Northern Illinois can maintain consistency and exceed expectations in an era dominated by roster turnover. 'This is about teaching young men to grow, to be successful in life, and to be ready for what comes next. NIL and the portal aren't the most important things. College should be,' Hammock said. In a world where programs can hit a 'create-a-team' button each offseason, Hammock's message is clear: resilience, preparation, and life lessons matter most. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
2 days ago
- USA Today
Dan Hurley's legendary father wanted him to take Lakers' coaching job
While the Los Angeles Lakers were looking to make JJ Redick their next head coach late in the spring of 2024, they made a surprising, high-profile detour when they courted Dan Hurley, the coach at the University of Connecticut, for that same job. At the time, the Huskies had just won the men's NCAA championship for the second year in a row, and Hurley wanted to go for a three-peat. But while he was tempted to come out to Los Angeles to coach the world's most famous basketball team, the Tri-State area native elected to stay in Storrs. His father, Bob Hurley, was a legendary high school basketball coach at St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, N.J. He admitted in a recent interview on Jon Rothstein's 'Inside College Basketball Now' that the elder Hurley wanted him to take the job with the Purple and Gold. The younger Hurley explained one reason why he didn't take his father's advice to come to the Lakers. 'The thing with my dad is, at different points in my career, he's advised us to make the move and take the job, and he never did. I always took my dad's advice on career advancement with a heavy grain of salt, because he never left St. Anthony,' Dan Hurley told Rothstein. 'The one thing I don't listen to Bob Hurley Sr. about is how to advance my career, because he never left his high school when he could have coached at any level.' As it turned out, Redick did a fine job in his first season as the Lakers' coach. Although they lost in the first round of the NBA playoffs in five games to the Minnesota Timberwolves, he guided them to the third-best record in the Western Conference. In doing so, he had to overcome a couple of extended slumps, off-the-court obstacles and February's humongous trade for Luka Doncic. Meanwhile, the Huskies failed to win their third straight title and lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament to the University of Florida. Lakers fans felt a measure of karma and even schadenfreude when the loss occurred.
Fox Sports
11-08-2025
- Fox Sports
2025 Washington Football Predictions: Huskies Ranked 49th in RJ Young's Ultimate 136
College Football 2025 Washington Football Predictions: Huskies Ranked 49th in RJ Young's Ultimate 136 Published Aug. 10, 2025 10:26 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link This isn't your average college football ranking. My Ultimate 136 is a set of rankings that is fluid, but it's my job to look ahead and make a claim for all FBS teams based on what I know and why I know it. Here are the three pressing questions I started by asking when putting together this list: Who do I think is good? Why do I think they're good? What are the chances they will finish above or below my expectations? Here is a look at where Washington lands in my Ultimate 136. Washington ranking: 49 Last year's ranking: 83 Top player: QB Demond Williams Jr.: In his two starts last season, he threw for a combined 575 yards with 5 TDs and just 1 interception with an 82.7% completion rate. [Washington's 2025 schedule] RJ's take: The Huskies need to win their first three games, including their always-entertaining Apple Cup matchup with Washington State, if they expect to be taken seriously by the College Football Playoff selection committee. The schedule includes Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon, Illinois and Michigan. ADVERTISEMENT But a generational quarterback might be able to help the Huskies win some of those games, as Demond Williams has that kind of talent. With Denzel Boston returning and Penn State receiver Omari Evans joining the team, he'll have weapons on the outside. If Jonah Coleman can rush for 1,000 yards and 10 scores again, yes, the Huskies might be good. [Check out RJ Young's Ultimate 136 College Football Rankings here] Washington Win Total Odds: Over 7.5 (+104) Under 7.5 (-128) Have an issue with my rankings? Think your alma mater is too low, or your school's rival is too high? Get at me on X, @RJ_Young , and I'll select my favorite tweets and respond to them in a future article. RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young. FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience College Football Washington Huskies share
