Tuesday, January 26, 2010

My unpopular look at Kater to Cincinnati

I haven’t ever done much with recruiting when it comes to college football coverage.
There are so many potential athletes, so many teams, and so little that can be said “on the record” by coaches about it, it is almost a lost cause for me.
But, recently, Central Michigan fans have been in an uproar about Montague quarterback Cody Kater switching his commitment from CMU to Cincinnati, jumping the ship with new coach Butch Jones.
Chippewa fans are upset, and I can understand why, but the simple fact is that this is the underbelly of college football.
Recruiting is a non-stop process for coaches and many, if not all, go to extreme lengths to secure the best players, which includes under-cutting the competition.
Kater and wide receiver Montrel Robinson’s decisions to leave CMU and head to Cincinnati are certainly no fault of their own.
Who can blame these kids for wanting to play for the coaching staff that they had been recruited by for the past few years?
Kater and Robinson don’t know what to expect of Dan Enos, but they do of Jones, and it is understandable that they would want to play for the Bearcats given the opportunity.
What really has gotten the CMU fans upset is a quote from Kater that he told WZZM, ABC 13 television:
"The day (Jones) signed his contract (at Cincinnati) he called me at 6 a.m. He told me that he wanted me there and he wanted me to go with him."
Does it hurt that Jones went after Kater and ultimately got him to go to Cincinnati?
Sure.
But, the reality is that any other college coach would do the same.
Just look at Jones’ mentor, Rich Rodriguez, who just this week took defensive end Jibreel Black from the Bearcats. Black was committed to play at Cincinnati, but once Brian Kelly left for Notre Dame, Rodriguez jumped into recruiting him despite the fact that his good friend Jones was coming into Cincinnati.
It is all part of the game.
When Jones came to CMU, he brought in Antonio Brown, who was originally planning on going to West Virginia, but decided to stick with the guy that recruited him and became a Chippewa.
So, you can be upset and frustrated, but trashing Jones on the matter doesn’t change that this is the reality of college football.
I know many CMU fans that were hopeful that when Enos was hired, that he would bring recruits that were committed to Michigan State here to Mt. Pleasant. Why would that be okay, but what Jones did be such a big deal?
There is also a bit of rumblings among fans that the loss of these recruits is a sign that Enos is not a good head coach. I am not sure how that is a logical thought, but again, this happens at every other program that has coaching changes.
I know since arriving, Enos has been hot on the recruiting trails and doing all he can to maintain the recruiting class and add new pieces to it. It is far too early to make any decisions on whether he is the right man for the job or that Dave Heeke picked the wrong guy.
Also, let’s not anoint Kater the next Dan LeFevour.
Sure, Kater was a highly-touted recruit by recruiting websites, but that doesn’t make him a sure thing. He may never make it at Cincinnati and may have never made it here. There are some good young quarterbacks at CMU, and Kater would have his hands full moving up the depth chart. Let’s remember that LeFevour himself was not highly recognized by recruiting sites, but he turned out to be pretty special, yet a player like De’Onte Burnam was a three-star recruit, and he never amounted to much of anything.
I know my take on this whole situation may not be popular and that many fans will refer to me as a Butch Jones “slappy”, which is their right.
Jones gave me the opportunity to see the game from a new perspective and see how the machine of college football works, from all aspects, including recruiting. I am greatly appreciative for getting that opportunity, but in my reporting, I have always been fair. When the Chippewas played bad, I acknowledged it. When they played well, I acknowledged that.
It is easy as a fan (because I am guilty of it with the Lions) to see what happens on the field for three hours and make judgments on whether a coach is doing the right thing, but there is so much more to it. Most fans make quick, emotional reactions to everything relating to their program. This situation is no different.
Fans wanted Kater as a Chippewa, they are upset, and they want to blame Jones for what happened and they are still upset he left for Cincinnati carrying the same message he had when he was here.
I get that.
But, what you need to understand is that it is no different anywhere else and had CMU taken a coach from another school, his message would be the same as it was at the previous school. It is the way of the world.
If Kater doesn’t want to play in Mt. Pleasant, so be it. Let Enos find his guys that want to play his system and let’s see what develops.
Last time I checked, the football program wasn’t built on one player or coach, and it won’t be any time soon.

CMU 2010 Schedule Update

By DREW ELLIS
Sun Sports Writer

Central Michigan seemed to have its 2010 football schedule set in stone early in the 2009 season, but like all things, nothing is certain, as the Chippewas have had to make some big changes in recent weeks.
The most recent change comes in the scheduled season opener at Virginia Tech.
ESPN has managed to put together a meeting between Virginia Tech and Boise State for the opening weekend of the 2010 season, thus leaving the Chippewas in the dark.
Instead of losing the Hokies as an opponent, the game will now be moved to Oct. 9, and CMU will instead host a Football Championship Subdivision school yet to be named on Thursday of Labor Day weekend to kick start the Dan Enos era.
While the team hasn’t been confirmed, sources close to CMU expect the opponent to be Hampton.
Another scheduled game for 2010 was to be Indiana visiting CMU for the second game in a three-game series.
The Chippewas went to Indiana in 2008, and the Hoosiers were set to come here in 2010 and then CMU would again return to Indiana in the near future.
With the Hoosiers pulling out of this year’s game to take up another opportunity, CMU is holding strong that Indiana has broken its contract agreement.
The contract states that either team that breaks off the second game in this three-game series must pay $150,000. For the third game not being played, the responsible party would have to pay $200,000. CMU is claiming that Indiana is responsible for the loss of both games as the Chippewas are electing to not play the third game since the Hoosiers broke a promise of coming to Mt. Pleasant in 2010. Thus, Indiana would owe CMU $350,000.
Indiana is arguing that it is only responsible for the second game not happening and that the third game could still go on as scheduled, thus CMU would owe $50,000, subtracting the difference of the two games.
CMU has taken legal action on this and a decision is now in the hands of judges to determine which school will have money taken out of its pocket.
With the loss of the Indiana home game, the Chippewas will now head to Northwestern for a seventh road game, and only have five games at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in 2010.

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Sunday, January 24, 2010

Perry new CMU strength coach

According to parents of current CMU football players, Rick Perry, formerly of Notre Dame, is the new strength and conditioning coach for the Chippewas.

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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Sen. Levin's statement on CMU football

The following is Sen. Carl Levin's statement for today's Congressional Record on the Central Michigan University football team

Mr. President, I want to share today with the Senate my congratulations to the Central Michigan University Chippewas football team, champions of the Mid-American Conference and of the 2010 GMAC Bowl, on a successful and exciting season.
On Jan. 6, 2010, in Mobile, Alabama, the Chippewas won their 12th game of the season, against just two losses, defeating Troy University, 44-41, in two overtimes in the GMAC Bowl. It was truly one of the college football season's most thrilling games.
Down by 12 points in the fourth quarter to a talented Troy team, the Chippewas came back to take the lead. They did not flinch when Troy tied the game with a last-second field goal to send the game into overtime, and persevered through two overtimes to triumph.
As expected, quarterback Dan LeFevour played a big role in the victory. LeFevour, a senior, had already become major college football's all-time leader in total touchdowns, set a long list of Mid-American Conference records, and become the only player in NCAA history with both 12,000 career passing yards and 2,500 career rushing yards. At the GMAC Bowl, LeFevour completed 33 of 55 passes for 395 yards, passing for one touchdown and rushing for another in overtime. Another Chippewa star, receiver Antonio Brown, caught 13 of LeFevour's passes for 178 yards, and had 203 yards in kickoff returns, including a 95-yard return for a touchdown that helped kick off CMU's fourth-quarter comeback.
It was a proud moment not just for CMU and Michigan, but across the Midwest, as the Chippewas broke a 14-game bowl losing streak for Mid-American Conference teams.
The team's competitiveness, skill, determination and grit generated great pride not only in Mount Pleasant, CMU's home, but across the state of Michigan, which is home to half the Chippewas' roster. I join the proud citizens of Michigan in congratulating the Chippewas on a fantastic season, and enter the names of the team's players and coaches into the record as permanent recognition of their success.
Players: Jahleel Addae, Vince Agnew, Andrew Aguila, Deja Alexander, Bryan Anderson, Nick Bellore, Brian Bennyhoff, Jake Bentley, Shamari Benton, Matt Berning, David Blackburn, Dannie Bolden, Tim Brazzel, Antonio Brown, Reggie Brown, John Carr, Derek Carter, Landon Carter, Paris Cotton, Jon Czerwienski, Leron Eaddy, Kirkston Edwards, Jake Ekkens, James Falls, Jeff Fantuzzi, Adam Fenton, Eric Fisher, Cedric Fraser, Kashawn Fraser, Eric Fraser, Connor Gagnon, Cornelius Gallon, Josh Gordy, David Harman, Jerry Harris, Brett Hartmann, Richard Hayes, Richie Hogan, Daniel Jackson, Gary Jackson, Jason Johnson, Todd Johnson, Aaron Kaczmarski, Matt Kanitz, Darren Keyton, Larry Knight, Dan LeFevour, Jake Linklater, Jeff Maddux, Matt Maletzke, Tommy Mama,Ben Masztak, Jordan McConnell, Aaron McCord, Colin Miller, Sean Murnane, Connor Odykirk, Allen Ollenburger, Jake Olson, Mike Petrucci, Cody Pettit, Tim Phillips, Kito Poblah, Ryan Radcliff, Evan Ray, Malek Redd, Tyler Reed, Chris Reeves, Mike Repovz, Nick Reynolds, Derek Rifenbury, Caesar Rodriguez, Adam Schneid, Bryan Schroeder, Will Schwarz, D.J. Scott, Bobby Seay Jr., Valtorrey Showers, Sean Skergan, Alex Smith, Chris Starkey, Armond Staten, Darryll Stinson, Kevin Sweet, Zurlon Tipton, Matt Torres, Kyle Torzy, Shane Torzy, Carl Volny, Rocky Weaver, A.J. Westendorp, Lorenzo White, Zach Wiersma, John Williams, LaVarus Williams, Sam Williams, Cody Wilson, Jeremy Wilson, Steve Winston, Kyle Zelinsky and Frank Zombo.
Coaches: Interim Head Coach Steve Stripling, Offensive Coordinator Mike Bajakian, Defensive Coordinator Tim Banks, Linebackers Coach Mark Elder, Running Backs Coach Jeff Beckles; Recruiting Coordinator and Tight Ends Coach Max Glowacki, Offensive Line Coach Don Mahoney, Special Teams and Defensive Tackles Coach Paul Volero, Graduate Assistants Ryan Oshnock and Tony Pape, Director of Football Operations Plas Presnell, and Strength and Conditioning Coach Dave Lawson.

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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Two added to staff, Coaching positions updated

By Drew Ellis
Sun Sports Writer

Dan Enos has added some more coaches to his staff and the new Central Michigan head football coach is expected to have his entire staff completed sometime next week.
Recently, Enos signed Terrence Samuel and Kort Shankweiler to his staff.
Samuel will be the wide receivers coach for CMU. He spent the last two seasons at the same position with North Dakota State. Samuel also spent one year as offensive coordinator and running backs coach at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Samuel also had assistant coaching stints at Southeast Missouri State and Arizona. He was a former wide receiver and track star at Purdue University. Samuel graduated from Purdue in 1995.
Shankweiler has spent the last two years as an offensive graduate assistant with Michigan State, where he worked with Enos. He will join the CMU staff to become the running backs coach for the Chippewas.
Shankweiler was a four-year letterman at East Carolina as a fullback from 2003-06. He also spent one season as the wide receivers coach of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
These two join Mike Cummings, Kyle Nystrom, and Max Glowacki as part of the new staff.
Cummings will be the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator for the Chippewas while Glowacki will retain his position as tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator.
Nystrom will be the linebackers coach, assistant head coach, and special teams coordinator for CMU.

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Friday, January 15, 2010

CMU vs. WMU Men's Basketball Live Blog

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Wednesday, January 13, 2010

CMU vs. Ball State Men's Basketball Live Blog

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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Enos deserves time to develop his team

By DREW ELLIS
Sun Sports Writer

It is somewhat fitting that the 2010 Central Michigan football team has a completely fresh start.
The 2009 season was one of the best, if not the best, in school history.
The players that were lost at the end of the season were some of the all-time greats and their departure leaves many questions about just what the Chippewas have for next season.
Then there is a new coach, Dan Enos, who has a lot of question marks in his own right.
He is young, he is energetic, and he is offensive-minded. But, how will his vast experience as a coordinator and an assistant coach at various locations translate into his ability to be a head coach?
That is the ultimate question and that answer will ultimately determine the fate of the new-look Chippewas.
Clearly Enos inherits a talented football team.
The offensive line will be one of the best in the Mid-American Conference, if not the country.
The running back core is also very deep and talented and should give CMU the option of relying more on the running game if need be.
A stud receiver in Kito Poblah and quick slot receivers like Cody Wilson still make the passing game very attractive.
Questions arise at quarterback, but the potential for a special player is there in Ryan Radcliff and Enos has a history of developing talent at quarterback.
On defense, Enos has two of the best linebackers in the game in Nick Bellore and Matt Berning along with solid talent at safety and defensive tackle. Inexperience concerns at defensive end and cornerback are reasons for alarm, but that is where Enos will have to do his best work.
It looks as if the talent roster of Central Michigan is strong enough to where the Chippewas will be able to contend for the MAC West Division title, and maybe even the conference championship.
But, perhaps Enos’ biggest challenge as a new head coach will be the 2009 season.
It is unrealistic to expect Enos to be able to continue what was accomplished in 2009 in his first year as coach.
What occurred last season was something that is rare and expecting it to happen on a regular basis is a lot to ask of a small program like CMU.
If the fan base puts too much pressure on Enos to match the 2009 season, the new head coach may never be able to develop the vision he has for the program.
Enos may have put it best when he said the expectations were to “win championships consistently and compete in bowl games yearly.” Those are reasonable goals, especially for next season.
Remember, Brian Kelly set the bar high for Butch Jones, and despite some early speed bumps, Jones managed to set the bar even higher. Enos can do the same, but he needs time to develop his version of the Central Michigan program.
Some fans don’t like that he hasn’t been attached to Central Michigan and that he comes from Michigan State, but the guy knows what it takes to recruit in the Midwest and that is very important for the Chippewas.
Some fans don’t like that he hasn’t been a head coach. To that I say, neither was Butch Jones when he got hired.
Some fans are disappointed that Mike Bajakian didn’t get the job and that Dave Heeke didn’t hire within the current staff. Again, that was the case three years ago with Jeff Quinn and things turned out fine.
Enos is bound to make some mistakes next year. You can’t expect a rookie head coach to be perfect. But, you have to trust that he knows what he is getting himself in to and that he will surround himself with a staff that can make his head coaching transition go as smoothly as possible.
One thing I do know, is that Heeke did a great job in hiring Jones and he has been very thorough in his hire of Enos. If Heeke didn’t think Enos could produce a winning program, he wouldn’t have been in Mt. Pleasant on Tuesday with a flying C on his lapel.
So, just sit back, relax, and let the man do his work. Be excited and be supportive.
Once the fall rolls around, it will be like getting a present on Christmas. You aren’t sure what you are going to get, but it will be exciting to find out what it is.

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Monday, January 11, 2010

Dan Enos to be next CMU Football Coach

By DREW ELLIS
Sun Sports Writer

Central Michigan University has chosen Dan Enos to be its next head football coach, a source close to the program has informed The Morning Sun.
CMU Athletics Director Dave Heeke made the decision to hire Enos on Monday night and a formal press conference is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday 3 p.m.
Enos has served as the running backs coach for the Spartans the last two seasons under head coach Mark Dantonio. He will be taking over the 23rd ranked football team in the nation, in Central Michigan University, following former head coach Butch Jones’ decision to leave Central Michigan for Cincinnati.
The Chippewas finished 12-2 this past season, having won the Mid-American Conference title, the GMAC Bowl, and a non-conference game over Enos’ former team in Michigan State.
Enos was able to win the job over fellow finalists Mike Bajakian (CMU Offensive Coordinator) and Curt Mallory (Illinois Defensive Backs Coach).
Enos has spent the past four seasons with Michigan State, having also coached the MSU quarterbacks starting in 2006, under John L. Smith.
Prior to working with the Spartans, he worked at Cincinnati with Dantonio as quarterbacks coach from 2004-05.
Enos has also been quarterbacks coach at Western Michigan, North Dakota State, South Illinois, and Southwest Missouri State.
Prior to coaching, Enos was a four-year letterman for Michigan State as a quarterback from 1987-90. Enos was the starting quarterback for MSU in the 1989 and 1990 seasons. He led the Spartans to a 16-7-1 record and back-to-back bowl wins under then coach George Perles.
Enos graduated from Michigan State in 1991 in business administration and received a master’s degree in sports administration in 2006.
Enos and his wife Jane have two children, Idalia and Alex, and the family currently resides in Mason.

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Enos to be next CMU Football Coach

Central Michigan University has chosen Dan Enos to be its next head football coach, a source close to the program has informed The Morning Sun.
CMU Athletics Director Dave Heeke made the decision to hire Enos on Monday night and a formal press conference is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday 3 p.m.
Enos has served as the running backs coach for the Spartans the last two seasons under head coach Mark Dantonio. He will be taking over the 23rd ranked football team in the nation, in Central Michigan University, following former head coach Butch Jones’ decision to leave Central Michigan for Cincinnati.
The Chippewas finished 12-2 this past season, having won the Mid-American Conference title, the GMAC Bowl, and a non-conference game over Enos’ former team in Michigan State.
Enos was able to win the job over fellow finalists Mike Bajakian (CMU Offensive Coordinator) and Curt Mallory (Illinois Defensive Backs Coach).
Enos has spent the past four seasons with Michigan State, having also coached the MSU quarterbacks starting in 2006, under John L. Smith.
Prior to working with the Spartans, he worked at Cincinnati with Dantonio as quarterbacks coach from 2004-05.
Enos has also been quarterbacks coach at Western Michigan, North Dakota State, South Illinois, and Southwest Missouri State.
Prior to coaching, Enos was a four-year letterman for Michigan State as a quarterback from 1987-90. Enos was the starting quarterback for MSU in the 1989 and 1990 seasons. He led the Spartans to a 16-7-1 record and back-to-back bowl wins under then coach George Perles.
Enos graduated from Michigan State in 1991 in business administration and received a master’s degree in sports administration in 2006.
Enos and his wife Jane have two children, Idalia and Alex, and the family currently resides in Mason.

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Sunday, January 10, 2010

Interviews done, three remain

By DREW ELLIS
Sun Sports Writer

Central Michigan Athletics Director Dave Heeke has concluded his round of face-to-face interviews this weekend and according to a source close to the situation, Heeke has three candidates still in the running for the vacant football head coaching position.
CMU Offensive Coordinator Mike Bajakian, Michigan State Running Backs Coach Dan Enos, and Illinois Defensive Backs coach Curt Mallory are the three remaining in the search.
Following the interviews with members of the CMU administration, it is now up to Heeke to determine which candidate is the best fit for the Chippewas.
Heeke is expected to go through his own personal analysis of the candidates and the interviews on Sunday night in order to make a decision. A decision is hoped to be made on Monday for the University if cleared through all the avenues.
CMU wants to name a new head coach early this week, with a press conference tentatively scheduled for Tuesday afternoon if a deal is in place.
Part of the interview process has focused on contract terms and amounts, so once a choice is made, there is not expected to be much time spent in negotiations.

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Saturday, January 9, 2010

Four still remain, Two favored

By DREW ELLIS
Sun Sports Writer

The Central Michigan coaching search still has four candidates according to CMU Athletics Director Dave Heeke.
"We still have some candidates to interview (Sunday) but we are tenatively planning on having an announcement early next week," Heeke said. "But not on Monday."
CMU Offensive Coordinator Mike Bajakian and Michigan State Running Backs Coach Dan Enos join Illinois Defensive Backs coach and Iowa Wide Receivers Coach and Tight Ends Coach Erik Campbell as the four finalists
While Bajakian and Enos are rumored to be the two leading candidates, Heeke said that CMU has not entered contract talks with any of the candidates and Heeke would not confirm any of the candidates.
Heeke went through a series of interviews with top candidates on Saturday to narrow down his list of potential replacements for Jones.
It was discovered early Saturday that Florida Quarterbacks Coach Scot Loeffler was no longer a candidate to replace Jones.
Loeffler emerged as an early front runner to get the position, but with coaching changes at Florida, Loeffler has seen an increase in play calling duties with the Gators and his aspirations to someday return to NFL coaching caused the talks between he and CMU to die down. Sources close to Loeffler in Florida also indicated to that if Loeffler was offered the job, he would be “50-50” on taking it.
Multiple reports came out Saturday indicating that Wake Forest Offensive Coordinator Steed Lobotzke was no longer a candidate for the job. Lobotzke was the lone candidate on the list that didn’t have ties to the state of Michigan.

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Loeffler Out

Florida Quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler is no longer a candidate to become the next Central Michigan head football coach. Loeffler emerged as an early frontrunner, but with changes at Florida, Loeffler has seen an increase in play calling duties with the Gators and his aspirations to someday return to NFL coaching have caused the talks between he and CMU to die down.
Sources close to Loeffler in Florida also indicated to me that if Loeffler was offered the job, he would be "50/50" on taking it.

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Friday, January 8, 2010

Heeke set for final interviews this weekend

Central Michigan University Athletic Director Dave Heeke will have a busy weekend as he will be going through final interviews with a group of six finalists for the head football coaching vacancy.
The interviews will take place outside of the CMU campus this weekend in order to decide on a final choice.
The final candidates are Mike Bajakian (CMU Offensive Coordinator), Steed Lobotzke (Wake Forest Offensive Coordinator), Curt Mallory (Illinois Defensive Backs Coach), Dan Enos (Michigan State Running Backs Coach), Scot Loeffler (Florida Quarterbacks Coach), and Erik Campbell (Iowa Wide Receivers and Tight Ends Coach).
Campbell is the late addition to the list but he has Michigan ties, having graduated from Michigan in 1988 and having coached with the Wolverines from 1995-2007, including being the assistant head coach from 2003-07. Campbell has coached the last two years with Iowa.
As of now, CMU doesn’t have a frontrunner and the administration has not interviewed one candidate more than others.
The key in the final interviews will be on which candidate has the best coaching staff put together.
The hopes for CMU is to have a final choice by Sunday where it can begin negotiations to have a formal announcement early next week.

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Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Final Interviews will take place outside CMU

Unlike the last coaching search, Dave Heeke will conduct his final interviews for the coaching search somewhere outside of Mt. Pleasant. Heeke is expected to narrow down his final candidates in the next day or two and then meet with them this weekend to make a decision on the new CMU head coach.

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Tuesday, January 5, 2010

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.

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Sunday, January 3, 2010

Azzanni will not be next CMU coach

You can take another name out of the hat of the Central Michigan football coaching search.
Florida Wide Receivers coach and former assistant coach at CMU, Zach Azzanni said that he is staying put in Florida.
“I will be staying in Florida and coaching with the Gators next year,” Azzanni said.
Azzanni was one of the names getting mentioned for the vacant CMU opening as he is a former player for the Chippewas, but he will not be the next head coach.
Azzanni didn’t indicate on whether CMU had contacted him or not, but there was a possibility for him to go to Cincinnati with Butch Jones following Urban Meyer’s retirement talk last week.
Now that things have changed in Florida, Azzanni will remain with Meyer and the Gators and is currently working on recruiting for Florida.
“We are always staying busy,” Azzanni said with a laugh. “There is never a day off in college football.”
Azzanni was on the sidelines for the Gators in their decisive 51-24 Sugar Bowl win over the Bearcats, and said the new experience went well.
“It felt good,” Azzanni said of coaching for Florida. “There are so many talented players on the team and everyone really welcomed me in. It was a great experience.”
The Chippewas are in Mobile, Ala. this week in preparation for Wednesday’s GMAC Bowl against Troy.
Wednesday’s game kicks off at 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN.

Azzanni had mentioned also that CMU has tried contacting Scot Loeffler, but he knew nothing more than that.
ESPN reported last night during the Alamo Bowl that Michigan State assistant, Dan Enos, has been in contact with CMU about the opening.

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