Although the season ended with a thud in a bowl game, Northern Illinois has awarded head coach Rod Carey a performance-based on-year contract extension. NIU announced the contract extension to Carey, which now keeps him under contract through June 2023, on Thursday.
“I would like to congratulate Coach Carey, the NIU football staff, and the entire NIU football program on a championship season.” NIU Associate Vice-President Sean Frazier said in a released statement. “We are excited that Coach Carey has accepted the additional year to remain at NIU and continue to build on our football championship successes. Our football program, has embraced The Hard Way mentality, and our student-athletes do things the right way – compete to win championships, graduate student-athletes and serve the community. This is, in large part, due to Coach Carey’s leadership and vision for the football program.”
Carey took over as head coach of the program prior to the Orange Bowl in 2012 after head coach Dave Doeren had left to accept a coaching job at NC State. Carey has coached NIU to a record of 52-30 that is highlighted by two MAC championships in 2014 and 2018 but anchored by a bowl record of 0-6 including this week’s loss in the Boca Raton Bowl against Conference USA champion UAB.
Carey previously had his contract at NIU extended after the 2013 season, which fell shy of a chance to play in a BCS bowl game. At the time, his contract was extended to run through the middle of 2019. Earlier this season, in early November, NIU quietly extended Carey’s contract through the 2021 season (expiring in summer 2022).
