Past, Present, Future?: How Bonamego's worst season compares to past coaches' departing seasons
Head coach John Bonamego high-fives his players as he celebrates a touchdown on Oct. 6 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
Mike DeBord, Brian Kelly, Butch Jones, Dan Enos and John Bonamego all called Mount Pleasant home at one point or another as the head coach of Central Michigan’s football team.
From 2000 to 2014, DeBord resigned, Kelly accepted a job at Cincinnati and Enos departed on the hot seat for an opportunity as the offensive coordinator at Arkansas. Jones, opening a way for Enos at CMU, replaced Kelly once again, this time with the Bearcats.
Now, there’s Bonamego.
The fourth-year coach has the Chippewas at 1-10 overall and 0-7 in the Mid-American Conference with one game remaining in the 2018 season. He’s been to bowl games in three of his four campaigns, controlling an overall 22-28 record and 15-16 mark in the MAC.
“I will say it’s been a disappointing season for the department, football team, fans, students, campus and community,” said CMU Director of Athletics Michael Alford.
Some CMU football fans are calling for Bonamego to be replaced.
Alford did not comment on if Bonamego will return for the 2019 season as head coach. He plans to meet with Bonamego, as he does with all coaches at CMU, following the close of the season to evaluate the future of the program.
“I don’t talk to them during the season about the season,” Alford said. “It’s just my style, because they have a job to do. I’m sure John has a plan to get us on the right path.”
When asked in a press conference if his job was on the line, Bonamego replied "my job is always on the line."
To gain an understanding of how Bonamego may be judged after the 2018 season, here’s a comparison to his predecessors.
Mike DeBord
DeBord struggled from the start of his four-season tenure. Throughout the 2000-03 seasons, DeBord collected a 12-34 overall record and 7-25 mark in the conference. In the MAC West Division, he finished sixth, fifth, fifth and seventh, respectively.
In Bonamego’s first season in 2015, he was 7-6 overall and 6-2 in the MAC, handing his team a MAC West title in the regular season and a trip to the Quick Lane Bowl.
DeBord never registered more than four wins in a season during his time with the Chippewas, which kept him far from bowl eligibility. This year is Bonamego’s only season with less than six victories.
The 62-year-old resigned from the Chippewas in December of 2003. He rejoined the University of Michigan, a place where he was the offensive coordinator from 1997-99, in 2004.
Brian Kelly
Kelly coached CMU from the 2004-06 seasons and logged a 19-16 overall and 15-9 conference record.
CMU’s standings improved each year under Kelly, going from four to six to nine wins. Nonetheless, his first two seasons ended in a fifth and fourth place finish in the MAC, respectively – without a bowl game to show.
Kelly is arguably one of the best college football coaches in the nation, currently leading No. 3 ranked Notre Dame in the midst of an undefeated 10-0 record and chance at a spot in the College Football Playoff.
But in three seasons at CMU, Kelly only made one bowl game when he was 7-1 against MAC opponents in 2006. He took the Chippewas to the Motor City Bowl, but the then third-year coach left for the head coaching position at Cincinnati before CMU’s 31-14 postseason victory.
Comparing Bonamego to Kelly, CMU’s current coach entered in 2015, immediately revived Enos’ struggling team and delivered three-straight bowl appearances from 2015-17.
Bonamego was unable to receive bowl eligibility in 2018, but even Kelly was unable to deliver three bowl appearances in three seasons.
Butch Jones
Jones returned to CMU after three seasons as the wide receivers coach at West Virginia. Likewise, Bonamego found his way back to the Chippewas in 2012.
Jones led the 2007 team to a 7-1 conference record, an 8-5 record overall, including the rivalry road triumph over Western Michigan for the first time since 1993.
From 2007-09, Jones secured a 20-3 MAC record for CMU and an overall record of 27-13.
While Bonamego's numbers are nothing near Jones', the two have one thing in common — they both delivered three straight bowl appearances for the Chippewas.
Dan Enos
Enos had the program in purgatory with lackluster losses and a weak vibe. Enos, from 2010-14, was 26-36 overall and 18-22 in the MAC. He went to two bowl games – 2012 and 2014.
Like Enos’ program, Bonamego’s currently has no energy or poise. Bonamego's even said his team has played very well in moments and poor in others, placing the Chippewas in an interesting situation surrounded by one question: Will the team actually improve?
Instead of fighting through the struggles, Enos jumped ship to join Arkansas as the offensive coordinator. Bonamego might have the chance to do the same if an NFL team calls for a special teams coordinator.
Of the three coaches prior, Bonamego closely resembles Enos, but his CMU ties offer hope for the future.
Enos decided not to persevere, and for Bonamego the choice is open. That’s for him to decide.
