Northern Illinois University Athletics

Northern Illinois University welcomed Illinois native and Huskie veteran Mike Uremovich back to the state and to the NIU coaching staff when he was named assistant head coach and offensive coordinator on January 6, 2016. After coaching the NIU running backs in 2016, Uremovich and has worked with the tight ends and fullbacks since 2017.

His second year as offensive coordinator at NIU was his most challenging as the Huskies started three different quarterbacks last season. Freshman Marcus Childers won the job by week five and played his way to Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year honors by the end of the season. Shane Wimann set several school records for a tight end, including the single season and career touchdown record with seven and 17, respectively. His 65 career receptions are also the most by a tight end/H-back in Huskie history.

Uremovich began his third stint as a member of the Huskie staff in 2016 after previously working as the Huskies’ running backs coach and special teams coordinator in 2012 under Dave Doeren, and as a graduate assistant for former head coach Joe Novak in 2001 and 2002.

In his first year as offensive coordinator, the Huskie offense led the MAC and ranked 16th in the nation in rushing offense a year ago, while receiver Kenny Golladay posted one of the top three receiving seasons in school history en route to becoming a third-round draft choice of the Detroit Lions.  

A native of New Lenox, Ill., Uremovich coached the offensive line at North Carolina State University from 2013-15, where he helped lead the Wolfpack to a pair of bowl appearances.  Behind his offensive line, the 2014 Wolfpack posted the fourth-best rushing total in school history and the best per game average since 1992. At N.C. State, he coached Joe Thuney, who started every game at guard for the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots in 2016, and worked with three other offensive linemen who were in NFL camps. 

Uremovich was part of the NIU staff that won the 2012 MAC Championship and the only MAC team to play in a Bowl Championship Series game when the Huskies earned a berth in the 2013 Orange Bowl. The Huskies finished ninth in the nation in rushing offense and scoring offense that season and were 15th nationally in total offense, while the NIU special teams ranked fifth in the country in kickoff coverage and fourth in punt coverage.  

Uremovich came to NIU in 2012 after a successful seven-year tenure as head coach of the NAIA University of St. Francis team (2005-11). In 2011, he led the Saints to their most successful season in school history as USF won a school-record 10 games and claimed their first win over an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team when they defeated Georgia State. The Saints advanced to the NAIA Playoffs for the first time in 24 years and captured their first playoff victory. He posted a 33-45 overall record, going 27-19 over his last four seasons after rebuilding the program from the ground up.

In 2003, Uremovich began a two-year stint as offensive coordinator at Waynesburg College in Waynesburg, Pa. The Yellow Jacket offense flourished under Uremovich, establishing school records for rushing yards (2,315), total offense (4,579) and passing yards (2,592).

Uremovich began his coaching career at NIU as a graduate assistant on Joe Novak’s staff in 2001 and 2002 for teams that each won MAC West Division titles. Prior to NIU, Uremovich’s first collegiate coaching job came at Benedictine University where he was the wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator in 2000.

A graduate of Providence Catholic High School, Uremovich spent four years coaching in the high school ranks, beginning his career at McCutcheon High School, just outside Lafayette, Ind., in 1996. He served as the special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach from 1996-97 before returning to his alma mater in 1998. He worked with the Celtics’ wide receivers from 1998-99. Providence advanced to the IHSA state playoffs both years and played in the title game in 1998.

Uremovich and his wife, Katie, have a daughter, Ella, and two sons, Michael and Drew.

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