The University of Northern Iowa football team enters the fall as the national runner-up in Division IAA. Coach Mark Farley says the experience of playing for the national championship paid big dividends.
Farley say the experience was “priceless” as it gave confidence to players and awareness to the players who didn’t play about what it takes to play at the highest level. Farley says the championship run also let people around the country know more about the school, as it gave national exposure so they can recruit kids from Florida and California and don’t have to explain where UNI is located.
Farley says the offense has the most experience coming back, and that makes it easier to fill in the areas where they lost players. Farley says it helps to be able to work with the new receivers when the offensive line already knows how to break a huddle.
The defense lost the most players through graduation last year, and also has several new coaches. Farley says the defense has a lot of work to do, but the secondary returns the most players and Farley says the secondary is the toughest to coach.
Farley says he’s having a great time coaching in Cedar Falls. Farley says “it’s a blast” because he’s working with great players and coaches and the atmosphere is so good. Northern Iowa opens the season August 31st against Drake.