Dan Enos: off the sidelines

Sports Editor Andrew Stover and Senior Reporter Daniel Monson had a chance to see the other side of new CMU football coach Dan Enos last Thursday. Here’s the end of their conversation about what Enos — a very down-to-earth 41-year old — does when he is not coaching.

Andrew Stover: What do you do around here in your minimal free time?

Dan Enos: I’ve been to Bennigan’s a lot, because we’ve been interviewing coaches, and I stayed at the Comfort Inn for about two weeks.

I get the chicken platter at Bennigan’s, I highly recommend it to everybody. It’s very good.

I’ve been to Mountain Town. I got my hair cut ... We’ve been eating at the dorms ... The whole staff goes over to the dorms, we were getting some weird looks from some of the students over there. They thought it was like ‘Old Folks Night,’ or something at Celani. That’s like the nicest dorm I’ve ever been in by the way ... These students don’t know how good they have it over there.

Stover: You grew up in Dearborn, right outside of Detroit. What was your favorite sports team, now, growing up? You said you were a Wings fan.

Enos: I like all of them, but my brother (Gary) and I, huge Red Wings fans. My wife (says) constantly, “Are you talking about the Red Wings again?”

He texted me this morning, “Wings tonight.” So we always know when they’re on. We watch them, so (we’re) avid there. But I grew up going to Tiger games and liked the Lions. I coached Drew Stanton, so when they drafted him, (I) even took more interest in those guys. I think Detroit’s a great sports town, it was a great place to grow up. Great place to live, and we got a couple more Dearborn guys on the team (recruits Kevin King, Nores Fradi).

Stover: There’s a generation gap, so, music. What kind of music do you listen to?

Enos: You know what? I listen to all kinds. I like a lot of things. I don’t know a lot of the new artists, their names. I know, like, Nickelback. I don’t even know if they’re new, but I like them. I’m a huge ... ‘80s music (fan), I like Van Halen and Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC, Run DMC, LL Cool J, ‘80s rap, stuff like that. But — Metallica — I like a lot of things. Country music, I’m kind of okay on.

Monson: Where’s your favorite vacation spot?

Enos: I like going to Orlando, going to Disney. We’ve been (there), like, four times with the kids. So we’ve been fortunate enough, we played in the Capitol One Bowl in Orlando, and we played in the Champs Bowl in Orlando. So, two years in a row, we went there for the bowl trip.

Stover: Any pets?

Enos: No, but we’re getting a dog.

Stover: Would you say you’re a dog person then?

Enos: Absolutely ... My daughter and I have been talking to my wife about getting a dog and she caved. So when we move here, we’re getting a dog.

Actually, it’s funny, because when Dave Heeke called me and offered me the job, he called me on the phone, it was that night. And I answered the phone, I was like, “Hello?” He said, “Dan, this is Dave. What are you doing?” I said, “Actually we just had a family meeting about getting a dog.” And I was just thinking to myself, “Why did I just tell him that?”

Enos: Am I off the Budweiser hot seat?