Youngstown, Ohio. Fargo, North Dakota. Brookings, South Dakota.
If you were to ask football enthusiasts their knowledge of such cities, the results would be minimal. At best, one could guess that Fargo is home to North Dakota State, but none of the three aforementioned locations is hailed as a mecca of college football akin to a Tuscaloosa or Columbus.
And yet, those are the three cities from which Northwestern’s newest three coaches will venture.
As Armon Binns (receivers), David Braun (defensive coordinator) and Christian Smith (defensive line) arrive in Evanston in the upcoming days and weeks, they’ll be greeted by not only gloomy weather, but also hundred-million-dollar facilities, a chyron of NFL Draft picks and Big Ten football.