Ricardo Patton
NIU Head Men's Basketball Coach
"We will recruit inside out. I think that Chicago has great tradition with high school basketball, and we want to make DeKalb a home away from home for student-athletes from Chicago."

JIM PHILLIPS
NIU Associate Vice President/Athletic Director
"This search was conducted very thoroughly. We reviewed approximately 500 profiles of head coaches and assistant coaches at all levels. Clearly, Coach Patton's body of work as a college basketball coach put him at the top of that list."

CHAUNCEY BILLUPS
NBA's Detroit Pistons
Colorado All-American, 1997
"Coach Patton is my favorite coach, he's really become almost like an older brother to me. He's the reason I went to Colorado. I'm so happy he has this opportunity at Northern Illinois to coach because that is what he was put here to do.

"If you like someone who is honest, up front, who knows the game and will get the most out of your talent, then you will like playing for Coach Patton. He's not going to lie to you.

"He genuinely cares about his players and that is something that is hard to find. He's not just about what can you do to help the team win; he talks to you about things outside of basketball and he wants you to graduate. He doesn't just say it, he means it."

KELVIN SAMPSON
Head Coach, Indiana University
"Having coached against [Ricardo Patton] for 10 years in the Big 12, two things come to mind. Number one is he is a great, great, great person. And number two, he can coach. What he accomplished at Colorado is something special. That is one of the toughest places in the Big 12 to succeed and he did. I admire him so much as a person. I congratulate Northern Illinois. They got a jewel. The administration is to be commended for hiring a great coach and a great man."

DICK VITALE
ESPN College Basketball Analyst
"He will bring energy, knowledge and a wealth of experience to Huskie Basketball. He is an excellent choice by Jim Phillips and the Northern Illinois athletic administration."

BARRY COLLIER
Butler Athletics Director and former Nebraska Head Coach
"Ricardo has always represented the profession and his university well. He will do an excellent job recruiting and was always tough to compete against. This is a good day for Ricardo Patton and for Northern Illinois."

TERRY DUNN
Dartmouth Head Coach and former Patton assistant
"This is a great hire for Northern Illinois and the Mid-American Conference. I worked for [Coach Patton] for eight years and he is a heck of a coach. He is a good and loyal person. It won't be long until Northern Illinois is back on top."

KYLE WHELLISTON
ESPN.com
"Ricardo Patton's been a winner wherever he's coached... before his success at Colorado, he was one of the best assistants the Ohio Valley Conference has ever seen. He's a strong leader who will immediately earn the players' respect and teach them to respect themselves."

RICK BARNES
Texas Head Coach
"Northern Illinois made a great hire in Ricardo Patton. They are bringing in a coach who is a very loyal person and will run a class program with integrity. There is no question Ricardo does things the right way."

--NIU--