NIU's Dave Doeren

Seems to have a good offense. Team has had back to back really good seasons.

That's as much insight as I have up here...

Very good coach, but I would hold up on the SEC job talk for now.

He inherited an experienced offense in 2011 that bailed them out of some bad defensive performances. This year, he returned a lot of starters on an improved defense and Jordan Lynch kept the offense from dropping off.

Basically, the cupboard hasn't exactly been bare since Doeren got to NIU, although he deserves credit for winning the MAC and a bowl game (which Jerry Kill couldn't do) and he's in position to do this again. Since this is only his 2nd season as a HC, the next couple years will show how well he's been able to keep the cupboard stocked.

I'm a big Dave Doeren fan. I've got some background on him.

Grew up in the KC metro area on the Kansas side, Played at Drake. Coached LB's there for 3 seasons, then GA'd for 2 at USC for Paul Hackett. Then he coached secondary at Montana for a few years where they won a DII title. He then coached 4 years at Kansas for the fat man.

He moved on to Wisconsin when Bret Bielema got the job, and was promoted to sole DC in a couple seasons, and got the NIU job 2 years after that.

He's a salty Defense guy, stresses fundamentals to the core like tackling, positioning, is known as a pretty good counter-offensive game planner, and his teams generally pick the ball a lot.

He makes jack shite, only $400K a year with a $200K max bonus. He's admitted a couple weeks ago that he'd listen if offers came his way. Offers will come his way. I've been pumping him up for Arkansas if we go with an up and comer instead of some pricey name coach.

Doeren's done a good job in an increasingly tougher conference that is known as a proving ground for coaches. He's being mentioned for Purdue's job, which would be a nice fit for him geographically, but I think he could hold out and get a bigger job than Purdue. I think he'd do well anywhere. Recruiting relationships can be made anywhere.

Thanks for the insight everyone. I feel like he may be a name we'll hear in the future and say, "I wish we'd have gotten him"