Bob Cole
	Position: Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Experience: 3rd Season at NIU Alma Mater, Year: Widener, 1982

Bob Cole takes over as NIU's offensive coordinator in 2013 and will continue to coach All-American Jordan Lynch and the rest of the Huskie quarterbacks. Cole, who has now been an offensive coordinator at seven different universities, takes over an offense that ranked among the top in the nation, and as the best in school history, in the last two seasons while winning back-to-back MAC Championships.

Behind Lynch, the MAC MVP who set three NCAA records and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting, the Northern Illinois offense ranked 12th in the nation in rushing and 13th in scoring, averaging 38.6 points per game. Lynch ranked fourth in the country in total offense and seventh in rushing while running for 100 yards or more in an NCAA record 12 games.

Cole spent his first season at NIU coaching the Huskie wide receivers, who developed one of the most consistent and deep receiving corps in NIU history. A trio of Northern Illinois receivers, Martel Moore, Nathan Palmer and Perez Ashford tied for the team lead with 47 receptions, while Moore's 747 yards were a team best.

Following the season, Cole saw 2011 senior Nathan Palmer, one of the team's tri-leaders with 47 catches and the Most Valuable Player in the MAC Championship with over Ohio, went on to the NFL where he saw playing time with the Indianapolis Colts.

Cole is a 25-year collegiate coaching veteran who has made stops at seven colleges and two high schools in his career. Prior to spending the 2009 campaign at Western Kentucky where he served as quarterbacks coach, Cole was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Wyoming in 2008. He went to Wyoming after three seasons (2005-07) in the same role at Florida A&M University, where Rattlers' quarterback Albert Chester led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in passing and total offense in 2006.

A native of Whitehall, Pa., Cole led a successful offense as coordinator at Utah State from 2000-04. Under his direction, the 2002 Aggies ranked seventh in the nation in passing offense, while quarterback Jose Fuentes was ninth in the country in total offense and Kevin Curtis was sixth in receiving yards. The previous year, Cole's USU offense ranked 13th in the NCAA in passing behind Fuentes and Curtis, who led the nation in receptions (9.09/game) and was third in receiving yards. In his first season at Utah State, the Aggies were 21st in the nation in passing offense, while running back Emmett White Jr. led the nation in all-purpose yards.

As offensive coordinator at Montana in 1999, the Grizzlies reached the NCAA I-AA (now FCS) playoffs and Cole's offense ranked second among all NCAA Division I-AA teams in total offense (517.4 yards per game), scoring offense (46.4 points per game) and passing offense (370.0 yards per game). Quarterback Drew Miller led the nation in passing efficiency with a quarterback rating of 168.6, marking the second consecutive season that Cole coached the nation's passing efficiency leader. Miller also ranked second in the nation with an average of 346.1 passing yards per game.

Cole spent six seasons (1993-98) at Portland State as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. During his tenure, PSU ranked in the top 10 in the nation in total offense three times - in 1994, 1995 and 1998. Vikings' quarterback Jimmy Blanchard led the nation in passing efficiency in 1998.

Cole has been a college coach since 1988, when he began his career as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks' coach at Sonoma State University in California, where he coached for five years (1988-92).

A 1982 graduate of Widener University in Chester, Pa., Cole was a three-year starter (1979-81) at quarterback for the Pioneers and led Widener to the 1981 NCAA Division III National Championship. Widener went 35-2 and advanced to the Division III Playoffs in all three of his years as the starting signal-caller.

Cole and his wife Kathy have two children, daughter Zoe and son Bobby.

Zoe, Bob, Kathy, and Bobby Cole

COACHING EXPERIENCE

POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE

PLAYING EXPERIENCE

EDUCATION

PERSONAL