Analysis: Who will it be? CMU head football coach search continues

tonyannesefootballcoach
Courtesy Photo

Ferris State University head coach Tony Annese is one of the contenders for the vacant head football coaching position at Central Michigan University.

Nearly one week following the resignation of head football coach Dan Enos, rumors regarding who Central Michigan University’s next football coach have been buzzing through social media feeds and word-of-mouth around campus and across the nation.

Here is Central Michigan Life’s updated list of who has the best chance to be hired for CMU’s most important coaching position:

  • 1.John Bonamego (Special Teams Coordinator, Detroit Lions)- According to Spartan Nation Magazine on Sunday night, CMU interviewed Bonamego during the weekend regarding the head coaching vacancy. Bonamego has worked his way up the coaching ladder starting at the University of Maine in 1998 as an assistant coach.
  • He made his jump to the NFL in 1999 with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He served as the Jags' assistant special teams coordinator until 2001.
  • Bonamego has since served as the special teams coordinator for the Packers, Saints, Dolphins and Lions. He has been with Detroit since 2013.
  • Most notably, Bonamego played football at CMU during the mid-1980s as a wide receiver and quarterback.
  • 2.Zach Azzanni (Wide Receivers Coach, Tennessee)- Azzanni coached under Butch Jones at CMU as the wide receivers coordinator from 2007-2009.
  • He also has an Urban Meyer connection. Azzanni was a graduate assistant at Bowling Green State University from 2001 to 2002 under Meyer. Azzanni followed Meyer to the University of Florida in 2010 as the Gators’ passing game coordinator.
  • Also a CMU alum and Utica native, Azzanni appears to be one of the favorites for the job. However some reports on Monday suggested he is in the running for the offensive coordinator job at the University of Tennessee.
  • 3.Tony Annese (Head Coach, Ferris State): Since the 2012 season, Annese has been the head man in Big Rapids. Prior to coming to FSU, Annese had three impressive seasons as head coach at Grand Rapids Community College.
  • In his first season at FSU, Annese led the program to a 7-4 record while Ferris ranked among the top schools in the nation in rushing offense and total offense. In that same season, Annese was a finalist for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award. Last season he led the Bulldogs to a 11-1 record.
  • Annese is a member of the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame and was 195-41 in 22 seasons as a high school head coach in Michigan.
  • 4.Matt LaFleur (Quarterbacks Coach, Notre Dame)- This is the hometown guy. LaFleur played quarterback at Mount Pleasant High School. His father, Denny, served as an assistant coach at CMU.
  • Before joining the Fighting Irish in 2014, LaFleur worked with the Houston Texans as an offensive assistant (2008-2009) and quarterbacks coach with the Washington Redskins (2010-2013).
  • LaFleur’s first major coaching job was as an offensive assistant with Saginaw Valley State University in 2003.
  • 5.Brady Hoke (Former Head Coach, Michigan)- For the past four seasons Hoke was the head coach at The University of Michigan. He guided the Wolverines to a 31-20 record, which included a Sugar Bowl appearance in 2011 with a record of 11-2.
  • His fourth season in Ann Arbor was the only year he did not guide the Wolverines to a bowl game. From 1987-1989 Hoke was the linebackers coach at Toledo.
  • From 1995-2002 Hoke coached in some capacity with Michigan including defensive ends, defensive line and associate head coach. He was the head coach at Ball State from 2003-2009 and San Diego State for two seasons from 2009-2010.
  • In 2008 he led Ball State the most wins in program history with a 12-0 record. He has a career 78-70 record as a head coach. He is a BSU graduate.
  • 6.T.J. Weist- (Former Interim Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator, Connecticut)- Weist is a Bay City native. He was named the interim head coach of Connecticut on Sept. 30, 2013. He served as the wide receivers coach at Michigan for four seasons (1990-1993).
  • The Wolverines reached four bowl games under his tenure, which included two Rose Bowl berths. He has also made stops at Southern Illinois, Tulsa, Indiana, Western Kentucky and Cincinnati where he coached wide receivers.
  • From 2002-2009 Weist worked various jobs while on Western Kentucky’s staff including coaching wide receivers and running backs. He was the Hilltoppers offensive coordinator for seven seasons (2000-2006).

 

Share: