Joe Novak, Former NIU Head Coach
"I think Sean Frazier hit a grand slam. Thomas was here during some tough times. He helped us turn the program around. He knows DeKalb, he knows NIU, and he knows what The Hard Way is. He was part of The Hard Way. He himself was a great example of what a true student-athlete was. He was a two-time Academic All-American, a great running back. I just think it's a great choice. He knows the Midwest, he's one of ours. I'm so happy for him, I think it's wonderful.

"I told Thomas several times when he was playing for us that he would be a great coach if he'd ever want to go in that direction. Really as a student, he wasn't interested in coaching. He was a business major and was very bright. I had no question that he would go on to be a great success in the business world. The next thing I knew, he was GA for Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin. From there he's made a meteoric rise through the coaching ranks. He's done very well everywhere he's been. He's a bright guy, he really is. He'll be a great leader for the program."

Ozzie Newsome, Baltimore Ravens General Manager and Executive Vice President
"He's a very good coach that understands offense, both the pass game and the run game. He has done an excellent job of recruiting undrafted college free agents, one of which is Gus Edwards [Ravens running back]. I think that will help him be able to go into houses and recruit at Northern Illinois University. He's just a great person and has a personality about him that will fit in multiple settings."
 
John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens Head Coach
"He's a tremendous coach, great leader and great developer of players. He's a smart game planner, hard-nosed disciplinarian but a player's coach at the same time. He relates to his guys really well. I just love him. He's been a big part of our success and we're going to miss him greatly, but our loss is Northern's gain. They should be really happy to have him. I know he's really excited."

Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin Athletic Director, Former Wisconsin Head Coach
"It's interesting. Thomas, if you know his history, was a preseason All-American, then had some health issues and couldn't play as a senior. We played Northern [in 2002], and he came up and introduced himself to me before the game. I had a good visit with him. Later that spring he had taken a job and he called me and said, 'Coach, I've got a good job, but I really believe I want to coach.' I told him to come up and work our camp in the summer and I ended up hiring him as a grad assistant. He coached like he was a full-time coach the minute we put him on the field. He took extra responsibility. We had young backs at the time. He just really got them ready to play in a hurry. 

"I watched his growth in the business, in coaching. When he worked for us again, he did an excellent job. I watched his career in the NFL. He's always willing to learn. In the back of his mind he's always loyal to NIU. That's where he wanted to be. I'm happy for him and I'm happy for Northern because he'll be a great coach and a great fit.

"He's a good communicator, a really good communicator. I think he can relate to kids, he can relate to other coaches. I think he'll be someone that can sell the program and yet he can be a disciplinarian with the athletes. He's a no nonsense guy."

Bret Bielema, New England Patriots Consultant to the Head Coach, Former Wisconsin Head Coach
"When I first got there he was a graduate assistant so I was getting a feel for him. I was impressed with his work ethic, his intelligence, his people skills. He's one of those guys that can enter a room in any environment and be successful. He's a very bright personality, very outgoing. 

"On the football side of things, he has a very high football IQ. His ability to adapt on the field and make decisions is very impressive. When he was getting ready for this process, I said, just remind them when everybody thought you couldn't be a GA, you became a GA and became successful. As soon as he became a successful GA, he moved on to Northern Illinois. Then I got him the job at Minnesota, then ultimately hired him back. Every environment he's put in, he has succeeded and this will be no different. Obviously he has his fingerprints all over that university and what he accomplished. My guess is it'll be much of the same as a head coach."

Thomas Hammock, NIU Head Coach 

On what he learned during his coaching journey
"I found out who I was and I found out my philosophy and what I believe in. I tried to take a little bit of everything from the coaches I worked with. I worked for some great coaches, from Joe Novak, Barry Alvarez, Bret Bielema, John Harbaugh and Gary Andersen. I was able to see Ozzie Newsome work. I've had the opportunity to work for some great mentors and they've embraced me, they've nurtured me. It's been quite the process."

On what he's most looking forward to about getting on the job
"Working with the players and building relationships with the alumni. I know a lot of my teammates are excited. Having a chance to reconnect with a lot of people that have meant a lot to me is exciting."