Matt Majkrzak, who has spent the last seven years as head coach at Northern Michigan University, building a highly successful program that has won multiple conference championships, was named as the new Northern Illinois University men’s basketball head coach by NIU Vice President/Director of Athletics and Recreation Sean T. Frazier on Tuesday (March 17).
He becomes the 30th head coach in Huskie men’s basketball history.
“We are thrilled to welcome Matt Majkrzak to the NIU family to lead our men’s basketball program,” said Frazier. “He brings a tremendous record of success from his previous head coaching stops and is a true rising star in the profession. Matt has a proven track record of recruiting student-athletes in the Midwest who succeed both athletically and academically and I am extremely excited to have him taking over our program as we enter a new era in the Horizon League. I would also like to thank our committee as well as CSA Search and Consulting for their professionalism throughout this process.”
NIU President Dr. Lisa Freeman also welcomed Majkrzak to DeKalb.
“It is my pleasure to welcome Matt Majkrzak to Northern Illinois University as the new head coach of the Huskie men’s basketball program,” said Freeman. “He has a proven record of success as a head coach, developing student-athletes both on and off the court, and engaging with fans and community members in meaningful ways. I look forward to the future for NIU men’s basketball under his leadership.”
Majkrzak (Pronunciation: MACK-er-zack) has compiled a 136-73 overall record during his time at Northern Michigan, including a 28-7 mark this season, setting a program record for wins in a season. He has led the Wildcats to four consecutive NCAA Division II Tournaments, averaging over 24 wins per season during that stretch.
“I am extremely excited and grateful to lead the Northern Illinois University men’s basketball program,” said Majkrzak. “I’m so thankful and appreciative to Sean Frazier, Courtney Vinson, President Freeman, and the rest of the committee for entrusting me with this position. Immediately it became clear the passion and energy that existed for Northern Illinois University and athletics. We can’t wait to engage with Huskie Nation and fire up a fan base that deserves a winner. Moving into the Horizon League is a perfect time to come in and build a culture that achieves excellence in the classroom, community, and on the floor.
“My wife Lindsey and I couldn’t have loved our seven years at Northern Michigan more, and I am so grateful for the opportunity. We created many lifelong friends and relationships. We are excited to get to Dekalb, and become active members of the University, athletic department, and community.”
Majkrzak guided Northern Michigan to Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) regular season titles in 2024 and 2026 along with GLIAC Tournament titles in 2023 and 2025, while being named the GLIAC Coach of the Year in 2024 and 2026.
A native of Elkhart Lake, Wis., Majkrzak has mentored 14 All-GLIAC honorees in his seven seasons, along with seven GLIAC All-Defensive Team recipients. He has coached a pair of GLIAC Player of the Year honorees in Max Weisbrod (2024) and and Dylan Kuehl (2026).
Known for his outstanding, efficient offenses, this season Northern Michigan leads the nation in Division II in fewest turnovers per game, ranks second in assist/turnover ratio and fourth in scoring margin. The Wildcats have been ranked as high as No. 10 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II national poll this season, the highest mark for the program in over 20 years.
Prior to his time at Northern Michigan, Majkrzak spent one year as the head coach at Bryant & Stratton College-Wisconsin. He led the Bobcats to a 25-8 record in 2018-19 as the team was ranked No. 1 in the region and 17th nationally. Bryant & Stratton reached the NJCAA Division II Region IV Championship for the first time in program history.
Majkrzak was the top assistant at Bemidji State for four years (2014-18) before taking the reins at Bryant & Stratton. The Beavers increased their win total in each of those four seasons. Majkrzak was an assistant at Chadron State College for two years (2012-14) prior to his time at Bemidji State.
Majkrzak was a student assistant for four years at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management. He earned a master’s degree from Chadron State in Organizational Management.
A press conference to introduce Majkrzak to the NIU community will be held at the NIU Convocation Center at a date to be announced. Full details will be announced later this week.
Fans can make deposits for season tickets for the first season of the Matt Majkrzak era by contacting the NIU Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225) weekdays between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. or via email at [email protected].
What They Are Saying About Matt Majkrzak
“First and foremost, Matt is a really good person. He is a high character guy who is going to put a lot of time and effort into student-athletes, on and off the floor. He has a great work ethic, has grinded his way to this opportunity and he is very deserving of it. The thing I love about Matt is that he is always trying to learn and he’s a very smart basketball coach, he knows ball. He is going to improve players and always have a competitive team on the floor because he can X and O with the best of them. I think it’s a really smart move by Northern Illinois and I’m excited to see what Matt will do there.”
– Brian Wardle, Bradley Men’s Basketball Head Coach
“I am extremely excited for Matt to have this opportunity. He has had great success here at Northern Michigan and is ready to move up. He is an outstanding recruiter, and he does things the right way. He doesn’t take shortcuts. I think Northern Illinois University is fortunate to have him, and they can trust him to lead them to where they want to get to.”
– Rick Comley, Northern Michigan University Director of Athletics
“Matt is an exceptional coach and an even better person. He brings passion, energy and high-level professionalism. Matt is a tireless worker and prioritizes maintaining positive relationships with student-athletes, parents, healthcare professionals, coaches and other department of athletics staff members. Matt has successfully adjusted to the many changes impacting intercollegiate athletics and consistently finds new ways to sustain a quality program.”
– Forrest Karr, University of Minnesota Duluth Director of Athletics
“Congratulations to Matt and Northern Illinois! I’ve known him since he was a student manager at Green Bay, and his success in college basketball has always felt inevitable. NIU is gaining a confident, high IQ coach whose teams reflect his preparation, toughness, and belief.”
– Andrew Gavin, SIUE Director of Athletics
