Throwing specialist Dave Jennings returns for his seventh year as an assistant coach for the Northern Illinois University women's track & field squad.

"Dave is an exceptional coach," NIU head coach Connie Teaberry said. "He prides himself in getting our ladies to perform at the highest level of competition. He is a great motivator for our Huskie team members and a positive leader."

Jennings has played a key role in the success of current Huskie Meagan Guenther, who has scored four times at MAC Championships, and former Huskies Margaret Gorski, Ashley Morrow and senior Jennene Anthony as the trio have combined for ten NCAA Mideast Regional qualifier appearances during his tenure. Gorski qualified in the shot put four times, Morrow earned four berths in the shot put and one in the hammer throw and Anthony qualified in the discus in 2006.

In 2007, Morrow earned a spot in the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the shot put after a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Regionals. Morrow also became Jennings' first-ever MAC champion, as the O'Fallon, Ill., native claimed first-place in the shot put with a school-record heave of 51-10.5 in the 2006 MAC Outdoor Championships.

A 2001 graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Jennings was a three-time letterwinner in both indoor and outdoor track for the Panthers. Jennings excelled on the conference level as well, earning six All-Missouri Valley Conference awards in the 35-pound weight throw, hammer, and discus.

A specialist in the weight throw, the Nevada, Iowa, native earned Division I All-America status in 2001 while also capturing MVC titles in the weight and hammer throws. Jennings even cracked the world Top-25 list for the weight throw that same year.

As a prep, Jennings was a five-time state qualifier for Nevada (IA) High School in both the discus and shot put. He also qualified four times for the highly prestigious Drake Relays and claimed the discus championship as a senior in 1996.

Jennings is married to the former Sara Boughner of Crystal Lake and they reside in Rochelle. The couple has a daughter, Liliana.