Former Ohio State Safety Rob Harley Named Interim Head Coach at Northern Illinois​

By Dan Hope on February 18, 2026 at 10:43 am @dan_hope

• OSU Football

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Former Ohio State safety Rob Harley is now the interim head coach at Northern Illinois.
Northern Illinois promoted Harley to interim head coach on Wednesday after Thomas Hammock, who had been NIU’s head coach since 2019, left the Huskies to be the running backs coach for the Seattle Seahawks.
Harley, who played for the Buckeyes from 2001-05, joined Northern Illinois’ coaching staff as defensive coordinator in 2025. He was previously the defensive coordinator at Arkansas State from 2021-24. Before that, Harley was the linebackers coach at Pittsburgh (2015-20) and FIU (2014). He started his coaching career at Ohio Dominican (2010-11), coaching linebackers and defensive backs under the direction of longtime former Ohio State assistant Bill Conley, before a two-year stint as a graduate assistant at Michigan State (2012-13).
Harley, the great nephew of Ohio State legend Chic Harley, takes over interim head coaching duties at Northern Illinois as the Huskies move from the MAC to the Mountain West for the 2026 season.
Assuming NIU sticks with Harley as its head coach for 2026, he will be one of seven Ohio State alumni leading a FBS program this year.
Harley is the third former Buckeye to become a first-time FBS head coach this offseason, joining Brian Hartline (USF) and Mike Jacobs (Toledo). They join former Ohio State stars Luke Fickell (Wisconsin), Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame) and Eddie George (Bowling Green) as well as former Ohio State student Alex Golesh (Auburn) – who didn’t play for the Buckeyes, but was a student assistant for Jim Tressel in 2004-05 – as Buckeyes who are now FBS head coaches.

11W Forums

KYBuck4858 17 Feb 2026, 10:15 am
Moeller OT Kal-El Johnson schedules his OV to OSU on 5/29

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KYBuck4858 15 Feb 2026, 4:46 pm
Top100 OT Qua Ford schedules OV’s to his top2 schools SMU and Ohio State, who he says are tied “50/50”.
SMU will be on 5/1, and OSU on 6/5.

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Buckiowa 13 Feb 2026, 6:27 pm
The On3 Texas site seems to think that OSU leads for #1 CB John Meredith:

One of the few prospects from in state that can play as a true freshman, Texas is in a solid spot here. Texas would like to be in a much better position though. Texas A&M led, then Ohio State took the baton. Get him back to Austin and get back in the race

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I'm not sure how true that is, but it's interesting that they seem to think that.

KYBuck4858 13 Feb 2026, 8:33 pm
Not saying he’s completely wrong, but Meredith is widely thought to be an intense A&M vs Bama battle, with us on the outside. Texas isn’t even in it. The writer also earlier in the article mentioned DJ Jacobs and called him a Miami legacy incorrectly.

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KYBuck4858 13 Feb 2026, 3:18 pm
5* DT Marcus Fakatou releases Top10 and OSU made the cut. Tells Gorney, that out of all his Jan coaches visits, Georgia, Ohio State, and Michigan stood out. This is going to be a major battle, but we’re trying. On LJ:

Sitting down with Buckeyes position coach Larry Johnson was eye-opening.
“When they came in, hands-down they made that list without a doubt,” Fakatou said.
“He’s just a very knowledgeable person. He sounds so interested in this 27 class and he was saying the 27 class is a very interesting one especially with d-linemen.
“He thinks there’s a lot of talent. They have DJ Jacobs over there, he was talking about Jalen Brewster and me. He was thinking about retiring but he said he’ll retire after this 27 class so that meant a lot to me and my dad and to hear that was pretty cool.”

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get this man to March Madness!!!

DubCoffman62 said:

Posole rojo
View attachment 85229

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You’re just trolling Thump now.

My recurring monthly donation has been setup. Happy to do my part of keeping this wonderful community ongoing.

First, win the Natti. Check. Next, corral the best FB player in state. TBD.

Crump's brother said:

Just to be clear, you sold the encyclopedias, NOT the Polaroids?? Because I would not be surprised by either.

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I wish I would have thought of that, this was pre-internet

Mick Cronin is really losing it huh.

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So Nate Lowe signed to a minor league deal that pays him $1.7MM if he makes the active roster.

This is how you say, "you'll never be on the active roster" without saying "you'll never be on the active roster".

Good luck dude. I think I like the odds of me being on the active roster before you.

Over simplification: 5 games left, Bucks are 17-9. If they finish 20-11 with 2 Quad 1 wins, I'd say they're in. Less than that, probably not unless they end up 20-11 and everyone else on the bubble loses with bad losses.

Don't leave it to fate. Get the Quad 1 win and get in!

That sucks.









He should've done it on signing day.

pnuts34 said:

Login to view embedded media Shocker that this went down this way

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This is as much an indictment of the judicial system as it is college sports

I know they won't be happy with that result, but congratulations on getting to the final and challenging the champion right to the end...

Cavs looking like they might have a full roster by the weekend for the first time all season. Mobley and Wade will be back and possibly Strus goose!

Royal is one of those guys who can be either boom or bust, and sometimes he switches between the two extremes within the same game. I think a lot of his game is based on getting to his spots and being able to take the same shots he's practiced. Teams that play really physical defense on him tend to throw him off his game. If the opponent isn't good defensively, he can practically score at will.

BB73 said:

The clock was 1:01 when Wiscy shot FTs.

How is it a 10-second violation at 52.3?

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For real? That should make the post-game list of complaints to the B1G. Easily proven and inexcusable.

Cotie McNahon, 39/10/5 tonight for Ole Miss over Tennessee. FML

Where could we be now.

CMic said:

For returning players, my priority would be Bynum, then Mobley, then Royal.
They need to decide if the injured big from Baylor can be their 5. And, for sure, they need to bring in a PG from the portal.

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I suppose if Bynum takes a jump, he could supplant Royal at the 4, and Bynum can play some at the 5, but to me neither is ideal at any other position. I would hope that we're not planning on Bynum-Ojianwuna as the post combo, as it would not solve the problem area of defensive rebounding.

MPhillips said:

From the Columbus Dispatch. Article is paywalled...

https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/columns/2026/02/17/ohio-state-wrestling-tennis-new-challenges-nil-transfer-portal-revenue-sharing/88709539007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=pp&gca-ds=override

"The Nittany Lions’ wrestling program receives $1.5 million in athletic department revenue sharing money, which it uses to build its name, image and likeness portfolio to attract high school recruits and portal transfers while helping stop current wrestlers from leaving.

Ohio State wrestling receives no revenue sharing money. Football, men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball are the only OSU sports to share the $18 million, the bulk of which goes to football."

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That’s really disappointing….the program is too good not to be getting a cut of $$$

Makes sense why PSU didnt take part in the dual to start season….they don’t need the $$$

OSU won, and was able to split a $250k pot.

cahosu said:

I have 2020.

well,
I am missing the loss to Alabama...

Have never uploaded before..i will learn...

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In the attached picture, i have 97-99% of the games in total...

cincibuck said:

My junior year, 1964, Marathon Oil and WBNS gave out/sold a set of Big Ten glasses in each schools' colors and with each schools' seal. I was living with three other guys in a four bedroom house on Norwich and so I bought the set, The set traveled with me to another apartment, Ft. Lewis, Ft. Eustis, a first marriage, a divorce, a couple of wild, free years, a second marriage, and a move to California. The last of the set, Illinois, broke in a move back from Bezerkely in 1979.

"This is WBNS, in the heart of Big Ten Territory," became part of every announcement made on Channel 10. That connection to the conference has remained with me and is part of the reason I dislike the expansion into eastern and western universities.

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I still see those glasses for sale at the antique stores from time to time.