Northern Illinois University Athletics

DJ Bland, a Chicago native with eight years of coaching experience, joined the Northern Illinois University football coaching staff as cornerbacks coach on April 12, 2023. Since Bland has come to DeKalb, the Huskies have been one of the stingiest pass defenses in the FBS, finishing in the top 15 all three seasons.

In the first season Bland arrived, NIU went from allowing 252.8 passing yards per game (100th in FBS) in 2022 to 171.2 passing yards allowed (sixth in FBS) and has stayed below 175 yards per game since. During the 2025 season, NIU had a streak of 32 consecutive without allowing a team to pass for more than 300 yards. At the time when the streak was broken, only Ohio State (34), Penn State (33) and Iowa (32) had a longer such stretch of games.

The Huskies finished fifth in the FBS in passing yards allowed in 2024, holding opponents to 172.5 yards to lead the MAC in passing defense in back-to-back seasons. Cornerback JaVaughn Byrd earned his second straight All-MAC team honors.

In 2023, Byrd was named to the All-MAC second team defense after forcing three turnovers (three interceptions and a forced fumble), breaking up five passes and recording 32 tackles. Jacob Finley added 33 tackles, three pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. 
 
Bland arrived at NIU after spending the 2022 season at his alma mater, Eastern Illinois University, as defensive pass game coordinator, cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator. He was on the opposing sideline when the two teams met in the 2022 season opener.

Bland returned to the Panthers’ coaching staff after four seasons at Missouri University of Science and Technology. He coached defensive backs and served as recruiting coordinator for three seasons and was promoted to defensive coordinator for the 2021 season. That year, the Missouri S&T defense ranked 17th in Division II in sacks and was ranked in the top three in the Great Lakes Valley Conference in eight defensive categories.  In 2018, the Miners ranked 15th in Division II in total defense and won the Mineral Water Bowl. During his time at Missouri S&T, Bland coached five first team All-GLVC players, two All-Region selections and helped Roderick Chapman to All-America honors in 2018.
 
Prior to Missouri S&T, Bland coached defensive backs at Rose-Hulman (2017) and St. Norbert College (2016). At Rose Hulman, the defense ranked in the Top 20 in NCAA Division III in six categories, including second in the nation in sacks. Two of his Rose-Hulman players earned first team all-conference honors and Alec Thompson was named an All-American. He helped engineer similar results at St. Norbert as the defense ranked in the Top 20 in Division III in five categories with two players named first team all-conference and one – Ryan Grandlic – achieving all-America status.
 
As a player at Eastern Illinois (2010-14), Bland played in 49 games as a defensive back and started 23, finishing his career with 168 tackles while his 23 career pass break-ups ranked in the top 10 at EIU all-time. The Panthers won the Ohio Valley Championship and advanced to the Football Championship Series (FCS) Playoffs in 2012 and 2013. He started at cornerback for EIU against the Huskies in a memorable 2013 game, making seven tackles as Jordan Lynch led NIU to a 43-39 win over the Panthers.  
 
Bland, a product of De La Salle Institute in Chicago, earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from EIU in 2014. He and his wife, Molly, have three children, Rome, Maeve and Duke.