Jan. 31, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. -- After assigning new duties for two of his assistant coaches on Monday, Northwestern University Head Football Coach Randy Walker announced today the hiring of Greg Colby as the Wildcats' new defensive coordinator. Colby joins Northwestern after spending four years as the defensive coordinator at Kent State University.
"Greg is a terrific hire for our football program," says Walker. "He brings a great deal of experience, class and knowledge to Northwestern. He's an excellent teacher. At Kent State, he took a defense that ranked near the bottom of the Mid-American Conference and turned it into one of the league's better units. I'm excited to have him on board and working with our young defense."
Colby assumes the duties of Jerry Brown, who was named assistant head coach earlier in the week. In addition to his assistant head coaching duties, Brown also will coach the Wildcats' defensive secondary.
Walker also announced new duties for three other members of his coaching staff: second-year assistant Pat Fitzgerald will coach linebackers, fourth-year assistant Jay Peterson will coach the defensive line and fourth-year assistant Jack Glowik will coach tight ends and H-backs.
Colby helped the Golden Flashes post their first winning season (6-5) in 14 years in 2001. The win total (six) from this past fall equaled KSU's victory total of the previous four years combined (1997-2000). In the MAC, Kent State ranked third this past season in scoring defense (25.5 ppg).
Colby, who turns 50 on February 25, has coaching and playing roots in the Big Ten. He was a three-year starter and letterman in both baseball and football at Illinois.
After coaching primarily at the prep level through 1986, which included a four-year stint as the head football coach at Naperville Central High in suburban Chicago, Colby joined George Perles at Michigan State as a graduate assistant football coach from 1986-88. The Spartans won the 1987 Big Ten title and the 1988 Rose Bowl game. He then served as an assistant football coach at Illinois from 1988-95, coaching linebackers and special teams. During his tenure at Illinois, the Fighting Illini made six bowl appearances and won the 1989 Big Ten championship.
In 1995, Colby returned to Michigan State and coached the defensive line and outside linebackers for three years. At MSU, Colby helped the Spartans make three straight bowl appearances. Colby then assumed the defensive coordinator position at Kent State in 1998.
A native of Danville, Ill., Colby earned his bachelor's degree from Illinois in physical education in 1975.
He and his wife, Janet, have two sons, Matt (26) and Mike (23).
GREG COLBY FOOTBALL COACHING EXPERIENCE:
1998-2001: Kent State University, Defensive Coordinator (Head coach, Dean Pees)
1995-1997: Michigan State University, Assistant Football Coach (Head coach, Nick Saban)
1988-1995: University of Illinois, Assistant Football Coach (Head coaches, John Mackovic
and Lou Tepper)
1986-1988: Michigan State University, Graduate Assistant Football Coach (Head coach,
George Perles)
1982-1986: Naperville Central High School, Head Football Coach
1979-1982: Danville (Ill.) Schlarman High School, Head Football Coach
1977-1978: University of Illinois, Graduate Assistant Football Coach (Head coach,
Gary Moeller)
1975-1977: Marshall (Ill.) High School, Assistant Football Coach
1974-1975: University of Illinois, Graduate Assistant Football Coach (Head coach,
Bob Blackman)