Former Detroit Lions head coach and Michigan native Steve Mariucci is set to have his jersey retired by his alma mater, Northern Michigan, on October 11.

The announcement Mariucci’s No. 18 jersey will become the first-ever for an NMU football player to hang in the rafters of the Superior Dome came last week in a video message from his lifelong friend and NMU roommate, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo.

The video aired on NFL Network’s GameDay Morning, where Mariucci has worked for nearly 20 years as an analyst.

Izzo reminisced about their time together at Division II NMU and Mariucci helping to turn around the program from 0-10 his freshman year to leading a 13-1 national championship-winning team at quarterback.

After growing up together in Iron Mountain and being teammates on

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