Video: NIU HC gets emotional in interview after historic upset of No. 5 Notre Dame | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock led his team to the biggest upset win in program history on Saturday as the Huskies defeated No. 5 Notre Dame in South Bend.

After the monumental win, Hammock was rightfully overwhelmed with emotion.

“I’m so proud of our kids, the coaches, everyone,” he said. “They believed, they believed. And we came in and did it.”

Hammock praised his team for doing exactly what they were supposed to do instead of trying to be heroes against the behemoth that was the Fighting Irish.

“They listened to what I said,” Hammock said. “I’ve been telling them all week, we don’t need luck, we just have to do our best. And they were their best today and we did it.”

When asked where his emotions came from, Hammock explained how much the win meant to his players.

“All of these people who have been in our program have been through ups and downs and continue to fight,” he said. “It’s like they’re my children. I rejoice in the adversity they have overcome, no matter the situation. I just couldn’t be prouder.”

Hammock wasn’t the only one overcome with emotion after the win. The radio call from Andy Garcia, the voice of the Huskies, on the final play shows how special the win was.

Saturday’s win couldn’t have been more dramatic. The two teams were neck-and-neck throughout the game, and the Huskies got a crucial interception in the final minutes, which they capitalized on with a Kanon Woodill field goal to take the lead.

With just 31 seconds left, Notre Dame managed to get within field goal range, but Northern Illinois blocked the game-winning field goal attempt, securing the victory.

Getting an upset win like Saturday’s is special no matter who the coach is, but it’s even more special for Hammock, who played for Northern Illinois from 1999-2002. Hammock returned to his alma mater in 2019 and has had some success in recent years.

He has had two winning seasons, including last year when the Huskies went 7-6 and won the Camellia Bowl. He also led Northern Illinois to a conference title in 2021.

Northern Illinois was once a MAC powerhouse, regularly winning conference titles and even appearing in the AP Top 25 several times. The Huskies are still one of the top teams in their conference, but they’re hoping Saturday’s miraculous win will propel them to the next level catapulted.