Frank Novak

Frank Novak (born c. 1940) is an American former football coach who is best known for coaching special teams in the National Football League (NFL). Early career Novak was born in Leominster, Massachusetts, and attended Leominster High School. He later played football at Northern Michigan University, where he earned NCAA Division II All-American honors as a quarterback in 1961. After college, Novak spent the 1962 training camp with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. Coaching career Novak coached high school football in New London, Connecticut and Iron Mountain, Michigan. He then returned to NMU in 1966 under head coach Rollie Dotsch, where he spent 6 years as a coach including the final 2 seasons as offensive coordinator. During this time, one of his players was future Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr. Also on the NMU staff were notable coaches Jerry Glanville and Carl Reese, both of whom Novak would coach alongside later in their careers. Over the next 10 seasons he coached offensive backs or served as offensive coordinator at various colleges and universities, including stints with head coach Sonny Randle at East Carolina and Virginia. In 1984 Novak coached running backs for the Oklahoma Outlaws of the United States Football League under head coach Woody Widenhofer. The following season, he coached wide receivers for the USFL Birmingham Stallions under Rollie Dotsch, reuniting him with his former boss at NMU. Dostch had originally recommended Novak to Widenhofer, whom he had coached with on the Pittsburgh Steelers.