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Northern Illinois Coach Gives Stirring, Tearful Interview After Upset Win vs. Notre Dame

Thomas Hammock, who played four years at Northern Illinois as a running back, coached the Huskies to the biggest win in program history.

Tom Dierberger

Hammock owns a career 26–33 record as head coach at Northern Illinois.
Hammock owns a career 26–33 record as head coach at Northern Illinois. / Peacock
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Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock might not be a household name in college football, but he just might be on Saturday as he led the Huskies to a stunning 16–14 upset win over No. 5 Notre Dame on the road.

It was the first time in the 57-season history of Northern Illinois football that the Huskies defeated a top-10 opponent.

Shortly after Notre Dame's potential game-winning 62-yard field-goal attempt was blocked and the final seconds ran off the clock, Hammock joined NBC's Zora Stephenson for an emotional interview.

"I'm so proud of the kids, the coaches, everybody," Hammock said while tears streamed down his face. "They believed. And we came in here and got it done.

"... All these guys that have been with our program, lived through the ups and downs and have continued to fight. It's like they're my kids. ... I just couldn't be more proud."

Hammock was hired as the head coach at NIU in 2019. The Huskies have gone 26–33 in his tenure, including a rough 0–6 campaign in 2020, but he's led the program to two winning seasons in the past three years. Northern Illinois also claimed its first bowl game win in over a decade last season with a 21–19 victory over Arkansas State in the Camellia Bowl.

Hammock played four years as a running back at Northern Illinois from 1999 to 2002. Over 20 years after his last game, he led the Huskies to the biggest win in program history.

That's what college football is all about.

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Tom Dierberger

TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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