Jan. 7, 2008

DeKALB, Ill. - New Northern Illinois Head Football Coach Jerry Kill has completed his coaching staff as eight members of his Southern Illinois "team", including offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover and defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys, have joined the Huskie program.

Each of the seven assistant coaches who are coming to NIU from Kill's highly-successful Southern Illinois program were with Kill throughout his seven-year tenure in Carbondale as they guided the Salukis to five straight trips to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs and to a spot in the national semifinals in 2007. Limegrover, Claeys and linebackers coach Tom Matukewicz were also on Kill's staff in his previous head coaching stop at Emporia State (Kansas) from 1999-2000, while Claeys has been with the new Huskie head man since his days at Saginaw Valley State.

"It is unique to have a group stay together as long as we have, but continuity is a big reason we have been so successful," Kill said of his Southern Illinois group. "I tell each coach that he is the head coach of his position and they have all done an outstanding job through the years."

The eight former SIU staffers now on board at NIU include strength and conditioning coach Eric Klein, who will join the Northern Illinois strength and conditioning staff and work with the Huskie football program. The Minnesota native and Carleton College product has been with Kill dating back to their days at Saginaw Valley State from 1994-99.

"The two people who have been with me the longest are my wife and Eric Klein," Kill joked. "Eric is as well-respected as anyone in the country in his position. He is a great addition to the staff here and will help develop the student-athletes at Northern Illinois."

Kill also announced that former Joe Novak aides P.J. Fleck, a Northern Illinois alumnus, and Jeff Phelps, will remain on the staff, coaching the wide receivers and defensive line, respectively. Fleck also will take over duties as the Huskies' recruiting coordinator.

"Both P.J. and Jeff are outstanding people and I feel they are a perfect fit for our staff," Kill said. "They both bring so much to the table that my biggest problem will be keeping them here at NIU."

Kill's offensive coaching staff will consist of Limegrover, who will coach the offensive line in addition to his offensive coordinator duties, Brian Anderson (tight ends), Fleck (wide receivers), Pat Poore (quarterbacks) and Rob Reeves (running backs). Limegrover was an all-conference tackle at the University of Chicago and also spent time on the coaching staff at Northwestern (1994-96) before building the Saluki offense into one of the most prolific in the nation over the last five seasons. Rockford native and Western Illinois grad Anderson moves over to tight ends after guiding the wide receivers at Southern Illinois, while Reeves was an All-American quarterback at Saginaw Valley State (Mich.) who tutored a long line of successful running backs at SIU, including the New York Giants' Brandon Jacobs and Payton Award finalist Arkee Whitlock. Poore's 23-year coaching history includes stints as the offensive coordinator at four different schools and as the head coach at Iowa Wesleyan (1994-95), while his last two SIU quarterbacks garnered Gateway Football Conference honors. Fleck, an All-MAC receiver at NIU and member of the 2003 squad that went 10-2 with upset wins over ranked teams Maryland and Alabama, completed his first season on the NIU coaching staff in 2007.

Defensively, Claeys will lead a group that includes Matukewicz (linebackers), who was named the 2007 National FCS Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Jay Sawvel (defensive backs and special teams coordinator) and Phelps (defensive line). Claeys, a Kansas State product, led a 2004 Saluki defensive unit that ranked first in the country in scoring defense, while the 2007 squad was 10th in that category. Sawvel, who earned his master's degree from Notre Dame while a member of the football staff in South Bend, worked with the safeties and special teams at SIU and will coach the Huskie safeties and cornerbacks while also coordinating NIU's special teams. Phelps, a Ball State product and Chicagoland native, has spent the last two seasons coaching NIU's defensive tackles and will add the defensive ends in 2008.

Northern Illinois' assistant coaching staff brings 122 years of coaching experience to the Huskie sidelines. Kill is happy to have his staff finalized as the spring semester and critical recruiting period begins.

"There is no question Northern Illinois has hit the gold mine as far as the coaching staff is concerned," Kill said. "With the core group that had so much success at Southern Illinois joining the returning coaches, I am excited about this group and the knowledge, enthusiasm and experience they bring to our program."

Kill expects to bring a director of football operations on board later this month. The National Letter of Intent Signing Day for football is Feb. 6.

-- NIU --