Northwestern football parts ways with Bajakian, Genyk, Hooten

Football: Northwestern parts ways with Bajakian, Genyk, Hooten

Northwestern head coach David Braun claps on the sideline against Wisconsin. It has been reported Braun made his first imprint on next season’s coaching staff after the team’s bowl victory over Utah.

December 28, 2023

Five days after nabbing a Las Vegas Bowl victory over Utah, head coach David Braun has reportedly relieved offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Jeff Genyk and director of sports performance for football Jay Hooten of their duties, Inside Zone’s Matt Fortuna reported Thursday.

In the buildup to his team’s bowl preparation, Braun said his staff would remain intact. Now, the permanent head coach will begin to make his imprint on his supporting cast.

Sources: Northwestern has parted ways with OC Mike Bajakian, special teams coordinator/TEs coach Jeff Genyk and director of sports performance for football Jay Hooten. https://t.co/fxngM3l8wk

— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) December 28, 2023

Bajakian’s firing was long expected and first reported on Sean McDonough’s ABC broadcast of last Saturday’s bowl game. The Wildcats had the Big Ten’s lowest point output in 2021 and 2022, but the arrival of graduate student quarterback Ben Bryant helped Bajakian’s group become the conference’s No. 10 offensive unit this past season, averaging 22.1 points per game.

The team’s offensive coordinator since the 2020 season wore a “‘Cats Against the World” shirt to an August open practice in support of former head coach Pat Fitzgerald.

Genyk first served in a bevy of coaching roles at NU from 1994-2003 before he returned as a quality control coach in 2015. He came back to Evanston after a short stint at Vanderbilt as running backs coach and special teams coordinator in 2016. From 2018 to 2021, Genyk held special teams duties, assuming tight ends coaching duties in 2022.

Hooten served as the team’s assistant director of strength and conditioning, before he was moved to director of sports performance for football in 2011. The longtime staffer was named in former quarterback Lloyd Yates’ lawsuit against the school, filed in July.

According to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, more changes could be on the horizon. McDonough had reported that the ‘Cats could see around five shifts to their coaching staff as Braun prepares to face the gauntlet of next season’s new-Big Ten slate.

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