The Northern Illinois Huskies were faced with a pivotal offseason for the program coming off of a 3-9 season where the team went just 2-6 in conference play. The Huskies accepted an offer to play in the Mountain West, and as the team joins the new league next season, it was going to become a bigger challenge. In a shocking turn of events, it won't be head coach Thomas Hammock leading the program through the transition.
On Wednesday Morning, Thomas Hammock accepted a deal to become the new running backs coach for the Seattle Seahawks, and a Senior Offensive Assistant. The deal makes Hammock the highest paid running backs coach in the NFL.
Sources: Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock has accepted a job to become the next running backs coach/senior offensive assistant for the Seattle Seahawks. He’s expected to become the NFL’s highest paid RB coach and chose Seattle amid multiple NFL opportunities. . pic.twitter.com/fGq3ZZ6rrM
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 18, 2026
Thomas Hammock's departure is a massive challenge for a transitioning program
The move marks a return to the NFL for Thomas Hammock as he was the Ravens Running Backs coach from 2014 through 2018. During his time with the Ravens, Hammock worked with Mike Macdonald which serves as the tie that set Hammock up for this move.
Thomas Hammock is a Northern Illinois alum, which would've made it seem as if he wouldn't leave, especially to become a positional coach in the NFL. Hammock departs with a 35-47 record including a 23-31 record in conference play. The highlight of his tenure will forever be the Huskies upsetting Notre Dame in 2024.
Replacing a head coach to begin with is hard, but doing it in a year where you join a new conference is an even bigger challenge. The Huskies will need to get a head coach in place quickly with Spring practice around the corner in a year where the team will travel cross country for league games.
If Northern Illinois looks to hire from within, they'll have a great candidate in offensive coordinator Quinn Sanders. Before joining Northern Illinois, Sanders led Charleston to a 27-8 record with a 23-5 record in Mountain East conference play.