Northern Illinois signs Thomas Hammock to extension through 2026-27 season

The Northern Illinois Huskies sit at 6-3 overall ahead of Wednesday's game against the Ball State Cardinals and didn't wait until the end of the season to announce some big news. 

Northern Illinois confirmed Tuesday that the university and head coach Thomas Hammock have agreed to a contract extension that runs through the 2026-27 season. Hammock, who was a running back for the program during his playing days, first accepted the job ahead of the 2019 campaign. His Huskies went 0-6 during the pandemic-altered 2020 season but have done well to rally back and approach a winning record. 

In total, Northern Illinois has gone 11-16 under Hammock. 

"Under Coach Hammock, our program has made tremendous strides forward – competitively, academically and socially," athletic director Sean T. Frazier said in the news release. "We are seeing the tangible results of that progress on the field this year, and over the past two years, we have seen it in the record-setting team GPA, and the commitment to doing things the right way on and off the field. As a former player and alumnus, Thomas is invested in this university, in this athletic department and in this community. He is very deserving of this contract extension, and we look forward to continuing the upward trajectory of NIU Football." 

Hammock added: 

"My family and I appreciate the opportunity to be at NIU and to lead this football program and be a part of the university community that has meant so much to us. Since I got here in 2019, the leadership of President Freeman, Sean Frazier and [Deputy Athletic Director] John Cheney has been amazing. This extension is another sign of the confidence they have in me and in our staff as we continue to build and grow this program." 

As Adam Rittenberg noted for ESPN, Hammock spent five years as a Baltimore Ravens assistant before taking the NIU gig.