Central Michigan University Athletics
CMU Names Eight Assistant Coaches
1/12/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jan. 12, 2004
MOUNT PLEASANT -- New Central Michigan University head football coach Brian Kelly announced the hiring today of eight assistant coaches.
Joining the former Grand Valley State University mentor on the Chippewa staff will be four members of CMU's staff in 2003 and four newcomers.
Returning from last year's staff are: Joe Danna (defensive assistant); Butch Jones (running backs); John Jancek (defensive coordinator/linebackers); and Plas Presnell (Director of Football Operations).
New staff members will be: Tony Dews (previously at Holy Cross), tackles and tight ends; Mike Elston (Eastern Michigan), defensive line; Greg Forest (Grand Valley) wide receivers; and Tony Oden (Eastern Michigan/East Carolina), defensive backs.
"First and foremost, the CMU football staff is comprised of men with impeccable character and integrity," said Kelly, who led GVSU to back-to-back Division II national titles. "I also looked for energetic teachers and outstanding communicators. And, finally, I wanted experienced and successful recruiters."
Danna, a 2000 graduate of CMU and a four-year letterman, had been a member of former head coach Mike DeBord's staff for two years while Jones (Ferris State, 1990) was on staff for six years and Jancek (Grand Valley, 1991) one. Presnell (Michigan State, 1973) is the veteran of the returnees, having been at CMU 21 years.
Dews (Liberty, 1997) was a graduate assistant at West Virginia from 1999-2002 where he earned a master's degree. He then coached the offensive line at California-Pennsylvania (2002) and most recently was the defensive line coach at Holy Cross.
Elston (Michigan, 1998) was a three-year letterwinner at Michigan who has spent the past three seasons as the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Eastern Michigan.
Forest (Ohio Northern, 1992) has coached the wide receivers at Grand Valley the past 11 seasons. He first coached at GVSU in 1991 as an intern and went to Capital in 1992 as assistant coach before returning to Grand Valley in 1993.
Tony Oden (Baldwin-Wallace, 1995) spent the 2003 campaign coaching defensive backs at EMU after spending three seasons at East Carolina. He had prior coaching experience at Millersville, Boston College and Army.
There is still an opening for one more person on the Chippewa staff that will be filled shortly.
