Men's Golf | February 14

DeKALB, IL - Northern Illinois University Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier announced on Wednesday a multi-year contract extension for Huskie Men's Golf head coach John Carlson.
 
Carlson signed an extension that will keep him at the helm of the NIU men's golf program through 2028.
 
"After a historic year for NIU Men's Golf and winning a Mid-American Conference championship last year, it is beyond apparent that Coach Carlson is the right person to lead our program," said Vice President/Director of Athletics and Recreation Sean T. Frazier. "I am thrilled we could get an extension done for John. Championships are to be celebrated and when you have a coach of his caliber you want to allow him to chase championships for years to come."
 
Carlson is currently in his fifth season as NIU head coach. The Huskies have finished in the top-three in each of the last three MAC Men's Golf Championships. He led the Huskies to their first MAC title since 1985 in 2023 as NIU bested Ball State by four strokes. Led by First Team All-MAC selections Tommy Dunsire and Ben Sluzas, NIU held off a final round charge from Ball State and Kent State to secure a bid to NCAA Regionals. Carlson was named the Kermit Blosser MAC Coach of the Year after NIU's championship victory.
 
The Huskies posted a then-team record 13-under par 275 in the opening round of the NCAA Regional at The Cliffs at Keowee Falls in Salem, S.C. NIU was 10-under par in the second round of the regional and in fifth place going into the final round. While narrowly missing out on the NCAA Championships, the Huskies did post their second-lowest 54-hole score since 1980 with a 23-under par 841. It capped a spring that saw NIU finish in the top-three four times.
 
Dunsire set a new 18-hole scoring record last season with an eight-under par 64 in the second round of the Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational on Oct. 16, 2022. He also broke the single-season scoring record with a scoring average of 71.857. Dunsire finished his career as NIU's all-time leader in scoring average at 74.096.
 
"I am grateful for the support from our athletic administration, in particular Sean Frazier and Ryan Sedevie," Carlson said. "With Rich Harvest Farms, the Home of the Huskies, and NIU Student-Athlete Academic Support Services, we have the ability to recruit and train the most talented student-athletes in the nation. Thank you to our current student-athletes and NIU golf alumni for making NIU home for my family."
 
Under Carlson's leadership NIU won its first team tournament title in over 10 years at the 2021 Xavier Invitational, one of five top-five finishes that season. The Huskies finished fourth at the Rich Harvest Farms Intercollegiate with a team score of nine-under par 855, tying the fifth-lowest 54-hole score since 1980. NIU hosted the MAC Championship at White Eagle Golf Club in Naperville that season, tying Bowling Green for third place. At his first MAC Championship in 2021, NIU finished second behind Kent State for the Huskies' best finish at the conference tournament in over 30 years.
 
NIU has had three different golfers earn MAC Golfer of the Week so far this season. Sluzas earned the honor on Sept. 21 after tying for eighth place at the VCU Shootout with a career-best nine-under par 207. Felix Krammer was named Co-Golfer of the Week on Oct. 5 after a top-five finish at the Badger Invitational. On Oct. 12 Zach Place earned the award after a fourth place finish at the Purdue Fall Invitational. In the opening round of the Quail Valley Collegiate Invitational on Oct. 15, the Huskies set a new 18-hole scoring record with a 14-under par 274.
 
The Huskies open the spring portion of their 2023-24 season at the Lake Las Vegas Invitational at Reflection Bay Golf Club Feb. 26-28.
 
--NIU--