RSS
CMU Coaching Search News
By DREW ELLIS
Sun Sports Writer
MOBILE, Ala. – No matter what happens in tonight’s GMAC Bowl, the buzz around Central Michigan is still centered on the next head coach of the Chippewas.
CMU Athletics Director Dave Heeke announced that no decision on the next head coach would be made until after the GMAC Bowl, but many fans have felt that that decision would come on Thursday.
Sources close to the coaching situation have indicated that the hire is not likely to happen until Monday or Tuesday as Heeke continues to complete the search.
As of now, many have interviewed, but no hire has been made.
The list is down to four outside candidates and two inside the staff as interim coach Steve Stripling and offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian have each interviewed recently and both interviews reportedly went well.
Three years ago, in the hire of Butch Jones, Heeke narrowed the search down to two final candidates and brought both on campus for final interviews before making a decision on Jones. A similar process is expected to take place this weekend before a final decision is made, with an announcement hoping to be decided by Monday.
Right now, Heeke’s focus is solely on the Central Michigan football team and the GMAC Bowl.
“Transition is difficult but our focus has been to preserve the experience for the players this week for this bowl game,” Heeke said. “We have had a remarkable season and the players have a chance to win 12 games and they deserve to be the focal point of the university and our administration. This has been a great experience for everyone and I think everyone has done a great job of making sure the players have the best experience possible.”
Of the outside candidates, the search has come down to a final four in Steed Lobotzke (Wake Forest Offensive Coordinator), Curt Mallory (Illinois Defensive Backs Coach), Dan Enos (Michigan State Running Backs Coach), and Scot Loeffler (Florida Quarterbacks Coach).
Lobotzke has coached the last nine years with the Demon Deacons, working as offensive coordinator since 2003. Lobotzke has also been an assistant coach at Ohio University, and a graduate assistant at Air Force. Lobotzke earned two letters as a football player at Air Force.
Mallory has coached at Illinois since 2005, where he has coached the defensive secondary and has been co-defensive coordinator since 2007. Mallory was an assistant at CMU in 2001, coaching the defensive secondary, and Mallory has also been an assistant at Indiana and Ball State. Mallory graduated from Michigan in 1992, where he played two seasons of college football.
Enos is a former Michigan State player and starting quarterback. He has coached at Michigan State since 2006, having coached the quarterbacks in John L. Smith’s final year as coach. Enos has also been an assistant at Cincinnati, North Dakota State, Western Michigan, Southwest Missouri State, Southern Illinois, Northern Michigan, and Lakeland College.
Loeffler is a former CMU assistant coach in 2000-01 when he coached the quarterbacks under Mike DeBord. Loeffler has also worked with the Detroit Lions and been an assistant at Michigan for five seasons. Loeffler also graduated from Michigan and was a player for the Wolverines from 1993-96.
Report: CMU facing Northwestern on Sept. 25, 2010
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Central Michigan will travel to Northwestern on Sept. 25 for a non-conference meeting with the Wildcats next season.
Sun Sports Writer
MOBILE, Ala. – No matter what happens in tonight’s GMAC Bowl, the buzz around Central Michigan is still centered on the next head coach of the Chippewas.
CMU Athletics Director Dave Heeke announced that no decision on the next head coach would be made until after the GMAC Bowl, but many fans have felt that that decision would come on Thursday.
Sources close to the coaching situation have indicated that the hire is not likely to happen until Monday or Tuesday as Heeke continues to complete the search.
As of now, many have interviewed, but no hire has been made.
The list is down to four outside candidates and two inside the staff as interim coach Steve Stripling and offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian have each interviewed recently and both interviews reportedly went well.
Three years ago, in the hire of Butch Jones, Heeke narrowed the search down to two final candidates and brought both on campus for final interviews before making a decision on Jones. A similar process is expected to take place this weekend before a final decision is made, with an announcement hoping to be decided by Monday.
Right now, Heeke’s focus is solely on the Central Michigan football team and the GMAC Bowl.
“Transition is difficult but our focus has been to preserve the experience for the players this week for this bowl game,” Heeke said. “We have had a remarkable season and the players have a chance to win 12 games and they deserve to be the focal point of the university and our administration. This has been a great experience for everyone and I think everyone has done a great job of making sure the players have the best experience possible.”
Of the outside candidates, the search has come down to a final four in Steed Lobotzke (Wake Forest Offensive Coordinator), Curt Mallory (Illinois Defensive Backs Coach), Dan Enos (Michigan State Running Backs Coach), and Scot Loeffler (Florida Quarterbacks Coach).
Lobotzke has coached the last nine years with the Demon Deacons, working as offensive coordinator since 2003. Lobotzke has also been an assistant coach at Ohio University, and a graduate assistant at Air Force. Lobotzke earned two letters as a football player at Air Force.
Mallory has coached at Illinois since 2005, where he has coached the defensive secondary and has been co-defensive coordinator since 2007. Mallory was an assistant at CMU in 2001, coaching the defensive secondary, and Mallory has also been an assistant at Indiana and Ball State. Mallory graduated from Michigan in 1992, where he played two seasons of college football.
Enos is a former Michigan State player and starting quarterback. He has coached at Michigan State since 2006, having coached the quarterbacks in John L. Smith’s final year as coach. Enos has also been an assistant at Cincinnati, North Dakota State, Western Michigan, Southwest Missouri State, Southern Illinois, Northern Michigan, and Lakeland College.
Loeffler is a former CMU assistant coach in 2000-01 when he coached the quarterbacks under Mike DeBord. Loeffler has also worked with the Detroit Lions and been an assistant at Michigan for five seasons. Loeffler also graduated from Michigan and was a player for the Wolverines from 1993-96.
Report: CMU facing Northwestern on Sept. 25, 2010
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Central Michigan will travel to Northwestern on Sept. 25 for a non-conference meeting with the Wildcats next season.
Labels: CMU football, coaching search, GMAC Bowl
posted by Nate Schneider at
1:15 PM
4 Comments:
Central Michigan is a top 25 program right now. So the question is who is the best coach to take them to the next level?
Central Michigan needs to find the best coach regardless of money because it will be the best investment the school ever makes. Ask little Boise State who was recently 1aa (who will now finish in the top 5 in the nation) how their investment is paying off for the university.
Lobotzke is sound but would set our offensive progress back into another era handing the ball off on the outside zone 60% of the time like Wake Forest does. Defenses have caught up to it.
Mallory was just let go as co D coordinator at Illinois and is now interviewing at Akron for possible D coordinator position.
Enos is a nice guy and coach who's bounced around NAIA and D 11 schools like a ping pong ball.
Stipling is as sound fundamentally and is as experienced of a coach as DeBord was but that does not make him the guy to take Central Michigan football to the next level.
Loeffler is innovative, bright and can RECRUIT. He is the one candidate that will take Central to the next level from the top 25 foundation that Brian Kelly and Butch Jones laid. Loeffler will recruit the best student athletes in Florida and the South and get the most out of them in the program.
If Loeffler gets the Central Michigan job, the Chippewas will be playing in their 7th-8th consecutive Bowl game and consistently in the top 25 in the nation before a Michigan or Florida come calling.
And no doubt he will have the Chippewas ready to go into Blacksburg to take on Virgina Tech in the season opener, take on Indiana at home and Northwestern on the road all in the month of September.
Just an FYI. The Northwestern game is replacing the Indiana home game. The Hoosiers pulled out of the game to take on another opportunity.
Central Michigan would have likely beaten Indiana twice in a row which is not great for the Big 10.
Unfortunately Northwestern will now have a very tough time beating Central Michigan (who returns most of their team in 2010). Expect another notch in the belt of Central Michigan's consecutive Big 10 winning streak after taking down Indiana and Michigan State.
I hope they don't take Scot Loeffler our quarterbacks coach at Florida! He's a great recruiter not to mention Bill Belichick and Nick Saban were fighting over him when we got him.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home