DeKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois University head football coach Rod Carey completed the Huskies' coaching staff for 2018 as he announced the hiring of newcomers Walter Stewart and Tyler Yelk, and the return of former graduate assistant Jake Landry as assistant coaches. Dan Sabock, who spent 2017 as a graduate assistant coach for NIU, has been named the Huskies' new 10th full-time assistant coach, and linebackers coach Jeff Knowles will take on the role of defensive coordinator.
 
Stewart comes to NIU after one season at Eastern Kentucky to lead the defensive line; new safeties coach Yelk comes to NIU after one season as co-defensive coordinator at South Dakota and previously spent three years on the coaching staff at Western Illinois. Sabock will take over as special teams coordinator after leading that group in 2017.  Landry, who most recently was offensive coordinator at Wisconsin-Whitewater and was on the staff at NIU from 2013-15, will coach the Huskie running backs.
 
"Obviously it feels good to have everyone on board as we head into spring practice," Carey said. "On paper, it looks like a lot has changed, but in reality, we have a lot of continuity. With Jeff [Knowles] becoming the defensive coordinator, Dan [Sabock] entering his second season on staff and Jake [Landry] having been here before, we really have a lot of continuity, which leads to a stable program, and we've been ahead of the class in the MAC when it comes to that." 
 
Stewart spent the last two seasons at Eastern Kentucky, where he helped the Colonels amass 53 sacks.  EKU ranked second in the Ohio Valley Conference in sacks in 2017, while two different players earned first team all-conference honors under his tutelage.  During the 2015 season, Stewart was the defensive ends coach at Florida A&M, and he began his career as a graduate assistant coach at Tennessee under his college coach, Butch Jones.  Stewart, a native of Ashville, Ohio, played for Jones at the University of Cincinnati from 2009-12 where he helped the Bearcats to four bowl games, including the 2009 Allstate Sugar Bowl.
 
"I'm really excited to have Walter on staff," Carey said. "With his pedigree, from playing at Cincinnati to his time as a GA at Tennessee and then coaching at EKU, the new ideas and designs he brings will help bring our d-line to the next level.  It's great to welcome him and his family to the Huskie Family."   
 
Yelk, an All-American defensive back at the University of Minnesota-Duluth who led the Bulldogs in tackles during their undefeated (15-0) national championship season in 2008, comes to NIU after two seasons at South Dakota as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach.  Previously, he spent three seasons at Western Illinois, where he coached defensive backs and was promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2015. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, and in 2010 became the only Bulldog to win a national title as both a player and a coach when UMD finished 15-0 to capture the program's second Division II national championship. 
 
In 2015, Yelk's defense helped the Leathernecks to the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2010 as Western Illinois led the MVFC with 19 interceptions.  WIU players intercepted 35 passes in his three years as secondary coach there.  At UMD, the Arlington, Wis. native coached two All-Americans, five all-region players and 11 all-conference selections. 
 
"Tyler brings to us a coordinator's perspective to the safeties room," Carey said.  "From his time as a coordinator at Western Illinois and South Dakota, along with being a standout player at Minnesota-Duluth.  I've known about Tyler for a long time, and am happy to bring him – along with his wife, Elyce, and young daughter, Leighton, on board."
 
After three years at NIU, where the former North Dakota quarterback worked with linebackers and quarterbacks, Landry spent the 2016 and '17 seasons as offensive coordinator at UW-La Crosse where he led the Eagles' offense to a pair of record-setting season. Under Landry, UW-L posted its second- and fifth- most total yards in program history, and had the top passing offense in the conference each year.  Landry was named offensive coordinator at UW-Whitewater earlier this year before the NIU opportunity became available.   
 
"We had the opportunity to bring Jake back, which I couldn't be more excited about," Carey said.  "I coached him at North Dakota, he was a GA at Minnesota-Duluth and here. Then he went out and was successful as the coordinator at Lacrosse and had started at Whitewater in that role when the opening came up here. I'm super excited about what he's going to bring to the offense and to the running backs room."
 
Sabock joined the Huskie coaching staff in 2017 as a graduate assistant coach and worked with the defensive ends as well as special teams, helping the Huskies helping the Huskies rank fourth in the country in blocked punts with four, and second nationally in blocked kicks. A native of Sycamore, Illinois, he carries on a NIU legacy as his father, Mike, spent 24 years on the NIU sidelines.
 
Sabock came to NIU from Florida Tech in Melbourne, Fla. where he was special teams coordinator and inside linebackers coach for five seasons, helping the Panthers to the 2016 Division II Playoffs. Prior to that, he worked at Indiana State in 2011-12, and spent two seasons at Rutgers (2010-11) in player development and assisting with the Scarlet Knights' secondary.  Sabock is a 2010 graduate of Elmhurst College where he was a two-year letterwinner.
 
"Dan's obviously been here working with our special teams as a graduate assistant since last May, and now we've been able to make it official with the addition of the 10^th assistant coaching position," Carey said. "I couldn't be happier to have Dan here. He did a great job for us last fall, I know he'll continue to improve our special teams going forward.  He loves NIU, and knows this region well, so he'll be a valuable asset in all areas." 
 
Knowles takes over as defensive coordinator in his second season at NIU, after helping the Huskies lead the MAC in total defense, scoring defense, sacks and tackles for loss a year ago.  The Huskies were 12^th nationally in rushing defense and 31^st in pass efficiency defense with linebackers Bobby Jones IV and Jawuan Johnson leading the team in tackles, while sophomore Sutton Smith became just the second consensus All-American in school history from his defensive end position.
 
"When I got a chance to hire Jeff last year [as linebackers coach], I thought this [becoming defensive coordinator] could be a possibility in the future, that's how much respect I have for his knowledge of the game and the way he teaches," Carey said. "It did not take me long after [former defensive coordinator] Coach [Kevin] Kane left to make this move to elevate Jeff.  Definitely feel it's the way to take our defense to the next level, while enabling us to have continuity on that side of the ball where we had so much success a year ago."
 
Season tickets for 2018 are on sale now with renewals and deposits for new season tickets accepted online at NIUHuskies.com/myhuskies. Season tickets for all five home games, beginning with the game versus Utah, the first PAC 12 team ever to play in Huskie Stadium, start as low as $55 with the Huskie Stadium Family Pack (four tickets for $220), while a general admission season ticket on the East Side is only $60.
 
Huskie Stadium has a variety of seating options from general public to reserved bench backs or chair backs, as well as Sky Club and Sky Box availability, for just $125 for all five games. A Huskie Athletic Fund donation is required for the premium options. The entire pricing list, including both Family Pack options and discounted season ticket pricing for senior citizens, NIU Faculty and Staff, NIU Alumni Association and Varsity Club members, is available on the Football Tickets page of NIUHuskies.com.
 
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