Cory Connolly joined the NIU Football coaching staff as special teams coordinator and linebackers coach in 2025 after 10 seasons at Ball State.
On the defensive side of the ball, linebackers Filip Maciorowski and Quinn Urwiler were all over the field during in 2025 under Connolly, combining for 228 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and four sacks.
Urwiler led the FBS in solo tackles per game with 71, finished with 141 tackles the most by an NIU player since 1992 and earned All-MAC honors. Maciorowski tallied 87 tackles as his first season as a starter, ranking 11th in the MAC and earned Phil Steele All-MAC honors.
The Huskies kickoff return unit ranked 29th in the FBS and fourth in the MAC with 22.88 yards per return. Returner Dev’ion Reynolds earned Third-Team All-MAC after averaging 25.3 yards per kickoff return, third in the MAC and 16th in the FBS.
Jake Ference stepped in midseason as the starting punter during his true freshman season, recording 30 punts with an average of 43.7 yards, fourth highest in the MAC, and pinned eight punts inside the 20. Kicker Andrew Glass connected on 11-of-14 field goals and 20-of-21 PATs.
Connolly originally joined the Cardinals’ staff in 2015 as a defensive graduate assistant and was elevated to a full-time role as outside linebackers coach in 2018. He added duties as recruiting coordinator in 2021 and was named special teams coordinator in 2022.
During Connolly’s time as outside linebackers coach at Ball State, six linebackers received All-MAC honors 10 times. In 2024, BSU kickoff returner Malcolm Gillie was named the MAC Special Teams Player of the Year and earned first team All-MAC honors after averaging 25.6 yards on 23 kickoff returns during the season. A year earlier, Cardinals’ punter Lucas Borrow received All-MAC honors.
In 2022, the Ball State defense ranked third in the league, allowing just 24.0 points per game while forcing 19 turnovers. BSU outside linebacker Christian Albright – a two-time All-MAC selection – ranks ninth in Cardinals’ history with 16.5 sacks. Albright’s four forced fumbles led the MAC in 2018.
Connolly contributed to Ball State’s historic 2020 season that included the MAC Championship, the first bowl win in BSU history and Top 25 rankings in the final Associated Press and USA Today Coaches’ polls. The defense was led by 2020 All-MAC first team linebacker Anthony Ekpe.
Connolly began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at Carthage College in 2014, before moving to Ball State in 2015.
Before beginning his coaching career, Connolly was a four-year starter at defensive end for Quincy (Ill.) University, where he was a three-time team captain. He received all-conference honors in 2012 and was recognized as an All-Mid-States Mideast defensive end in 2011.
Connolly holds a bachelor's degree from Quincy, where he received the LaVerne Academic Scholarship and the Walter "Wally" O’Day Memorial Scholarship. In 2014, he participated in the Future Football Coaches Academy sponsored by the NCAA and AFCA.
Connolly and his wife, Sydney, are parents to two children.
