On January 18, 2019, Thomas Hammock, a former Huskie player and assistant coach, came “home” to Northern Illinois University as the 23rd head coach in the history of the NIU football. A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana and one of the top football student-athletes in school history, Hammock returned to DeKalb after five seasons (2014-18) as an assistant coach with the Baltimore Ravens.
After leading the Huskies to five wins in his inaugural season and persevering through a 0-6 campaign during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, Hammock led NIU to its biggest one-season improvement in school history in 2021. The Huskies won nine games with the second-youngest team in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), taking the MAC West Division title and defeating Kent State 41-23 in the Rocket Mortgage MAC Championship game for the program’s sixth league crown. NIU became the first FBS team to win its conference championship game one year after going winless. Hammock was named the MAC Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year honor.
Not surprisingly, given Hammock’s extensive run game experience, from his time as a two-time 1,000-yard rusher at NIU to his five seasons coaching running backs with the Ravens, NIU’s offense was fourth in the nation in rushing with 241.4 yards per game in 2021, and have ranked in the Top 10 in the country in fewest sacks allowed in each of the last two seasons.
In October of 2022, Hammock was inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame. The first African American head coach in NIU football history, he is the first alumnus to lead the Huskies as a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program.
NIU Vice-President and Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier, whose relationship with Hammock extends back to their time at the University of Wisconsin, said Hammock’s desire to be the head coach at his alma mater dates back to the very start of his coaching career.
“The first time I met Thomas it was clear his goal was to be the head coach of Northern Illinois University,” Frazier said. “I knew this coach was going someplace and this is truly his dream job.”
Now in his 20th season as a coach, Hammock begins his fifth season in that job in 2023.
“This has always been my dream,” he said in his introductory press conference. “When I was a GA at Wisconsin [in 2003-04], I said I want to be the head coach at Northern Illinois University, because I knew what Coach [Joe] Novak did for me, and I want to do the same for others. It’s an unbelievable feeling to have the opportunity to come home to a place that I love, to the school that has meant so much to me. This program has meant everything to me, and I will give it everything I have.”
Since his arrival, Hammock has been focused on taking the program – which has enjoyed unprecedented success since his days as a player – to the next level. He believes in developing players, attention to detail and demands accountability in the classroom.
“The reason I wanted this job is to build a legacy,” he said. “A legacy is not what you leave behind. A legacy is what you leave within. All the qualities Coach Novak instilled in me, I want to instill those in future players and the players currently in the program.
“I think being a student-athlete is a privilege. I was a two-time Academic All-American, so when I talk to kids about going to class and doing the things necessary to be successful, it starts there. If I can’t trust you to go to class, it’s going to be hard to trust you on third down. It’s just that simple, so that’s the expectation.”
Hammock’s insistence on discipline in the classroom has paid off. After surpassing the 3.0 mark for the first time in school history in Spring of 2020, the Huskies have maintained a team GPA above 3.0 for seven consecutive semesters and achieved a team record 3.056 GPA for the Spring 2021 term.
He has navigated the changing nature of intercollegiate athletics, from the challenges of leading the program through the COVID-19 pandemic to managing the roster in the time of the transfer portal and working to ensure NIU players have NIL opportunities.
Hammock’s coaching journey began at Wisconsin as a graduate assistant, followed by two seasons as an assistant at NIU under Huskie Hall of Famer Joe Novak (2005-06). Hammock then served stints as a college assistant coach at Minnesota and Wisconsin before joining the Baltimore Ravens organization in 2014.
In five seasons as the running backs coach with the Ravens, Hammock helped Baltimore’s rushing attack finish in the top 11 in the NFL three times, including in 2018 when the Ravens had the second-best rushing offense in the league, averaging 152.6 yards per game. The Ravens made the playoffs twice in Hammock’s time in Baltimore.
During Hammock’s first season in 2014, Hammock helped revitalize the Ravens run game that had finished 30th in the NFL the prior season. The 2014 Ravens finished eighth in the NFL in rushing, averaging 126.2 yards per game, as they posted a 10-6 record and reached the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs as a wild card. Hammock helped mentor running back Justin Forsett to his first career Pro Bowl in 2014 as he rushed for a career-high 1,266 yards, fifth-most in the NFL.
Baltimore fullback Kyle Juszczyk was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2016 after he led the NFL in catches (37) and receiving yards (266) by a fullback.
The Ravens run game finished 11th in the league in 2017 as they averaged 116.0 yards per game. Alex Collins had a breakout season under Hammock’s guidance, rushing for 973 yards while tallying 1,160 yards from scrimmage. Collins’ 4.6 yards per catch ranks fourth among running backs in the NFL.
In 2018, the Ravens won the AFC North Division title with a 10-6 record and finished third in the NFL with 19 rushing touchdowns.
Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh, one of Hammock’s mentors and a fellow MAC product, said the Ravens’ loss was NIU’s gain.
“He’s a tremendous coach, great leader and great developer of players,” Harbaugh said. “He’s a smart game planner, a hard-nosed disciplinarian but a player’s coach at the same time. He relates to his guys really well. He’s been a big part of our success.”
Prior to his five seasons in Baltimore, Hammock spent three years at the University of Wisconsin, where he was the running backs coach and assistant head coach. In 2011, Hammock’s first season in Madison, the Badgers ranked 11th nationally in rushing, averaging 235.6 yards per game. Hammock helped Montee Ball lead the nation in rushing yards (1,923) and break Barry Sanders’ single-season NCAA touchdown record with 39 scores, including 33 rushing. Ball was a consensus first team All-American and a Heisman Trophy finalist for the Badgers, who finished 11-3 and played in the Rose Bowl.
The following season, Wisconsin once again ranked among the nation’s elite rushing teams with an average of 236.4 rushing yards per game to rank 13th nationally. Ball became the NCAA’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns with 77 and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back, as he gained 1,830 rushing yards to lead Wisconsin back to the Rose Bowl.
In 2013, Hammock’s final season at Wisconsin, the Badgers set a school record with 3,689 rushing yards to rank eighth in the nation. James White and Melvin Gordon each earned second team All-Big Ten honors as the duo each rushed for over 1,000 yards. Gordon was a semifinalist for both the Maxwell and Doak Walker Awards; the Badgers finished the season with a 9-4 record.
Hammock’s three seasons at Wisconsin from 2011-13 marked his second stint with the Badgers program, having begun his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Wisconsin in 2003-04. During that time, UW played in the Music City Bowl (2003) and the Outback Bowl (2004).
The former Huskie running back returned to DeKalb as an assistant coach for Joe Novak for two seasons in 2005-06. In Hammock’s first season, NIU Hall of Famer Garrett Wolfe rushed for 1,580 yards and 16 touchdowns in just nine games as NIU won the MAC West Division and appeared in the MAC Championship Game for the first time. During the 2006 campaign, Wolfe rushed for an NCAA-best 1,928 yards as the Huskies reached the Poinsettia Bowl. Hammock helped Wolfe earn All-America and first team All-MAC honors in both 2005 and 2006. Wolfe was also the Vern Smith Leadership Award winner as the MAC’s Most Valuable Player in 2006.
Following his two seasons with the Huskies, Hammock spent four years as the running backs coach at the University of Minnesota (2007-10), helping the Golden Gophers to the Insight Bowl in both 2008 and 2009. Hammock was named the co-offensive coordinator at Minnesota for the 2010 season and the Gophers moved up 26 spots nationally in rushing and 34 spots in total offense.
As a player, Hammock gained 2,432 rushing yards in 32 games in his NIU career (1999-2002), which still ranks 13th all-time in Huskie history. He was a two-time first team CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2000 and 2001; Hammock remains the only football student-athlete in school history with that distinction. He earned first team All-MAC honors in both seasons after back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns. As a sophomore, he ranked sixth in the country in scoring (10.7/game), 12th in rushing (120.3 yards/game) and his career totals included 12 100-yard rushing games.
Hammock entered his junior season of 2002 as a Doak Walker Award candidate and an honorable mention preseason All-American. In the first game of that season, a 42-41 overtime win over Wake Forest, he rushed for 172 yards on 38 carries to earn Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week honors.
Following the game, though, Hammock experienced trouble breathing and chest discomfort. After a series of tests and following the recommendations from multiple doctors and specialists throughout the region, he was sidelined for the remainder of the season. In December 2002, shortly after graduating from NIU, and with a season of eligibility remaining, he announced his retirement due to a heart-related condition.
Hammock initially put his NIU degree to work in the business world before reaching out to then Wisconsin head coach Barry Alvarez and securing a spot as a graduate assistant in Madison, marking the beginning of his coaching career.
Hammock earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from NIU in December 2002, and a master’s in educational leadership and policy analysis from Wisconsin in 2004. He and his wife, Cheynnitha, also a NIU alum, have a daughter, Tierra, and a son, Thomas Douglas.
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