Hall of Fame
Novak was a member of MAC Co-Championship teams on the gridiron for Miami in 1965 and '66. Miami went 5-1 in league play each season. He was a two-time letterwinner for the Red and White at defensive end. Novak returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach from 1974-76. During that time, Miami won two MAC titles, going 5-0 in conference play in 1974 and 6-0 in 1975. Miami defeated Georgia in the 1974 Tangerine Bowl and defeated South Carolina in the 1975 Tangerine Bowl.
After a combined 22 seasons as an assistant coach at Miami, Illinois, Northern Illinois and Indiana, Novak assumed the head coaching post at Northern Illinois in 1996 and spent 12 seasons guiding the Huskie program. He was named MAC Coach of the Year in 2002 and was named the Region 3 Division I-A Coach of the Year by the AFCA in 2003. Novak finished his coaching career ranked among the league's top for career wins and MAC wins.
