Central Michigan University Athletics
Michigan Ties Bring Enos to CMU
1/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Enos Introduced as Head Football Coach
The state of Michigan has provided much for new Central Michigan head football coach Dan Enos, a state he has called home for the majority of his life.
Enos grew up in Dearborn, Mich., played quarterback collegiately at Michigan State and spent 11 years coaching in Michigan before being named CMU’s head coach.
In his opening press conference, Enos outlined the emphasis he will place on his home state, something he deems crucial to the continued success of the football program.
“We will recruit in the state with a passion and energy that has not been seen in a number of years,” Enos said. “Our team will have strong Midwest recruiting ties and we will turn over every rock to find the best talent this state has to offer us.”
Every stop Enos has made, particularly in his home state, has been marked by success. He was a member of the last MSU team to appear in the Rose Bowl in 1988. He continued the winning culture through the end of his playing career, amassing a 16-7-1 record as the Spartan’s starting quarterback, leading MSU to two bowl victories and a share of the 1990 Big Ten title.
After his playing career ended, Enos continued devoting his time and energy to his home state and alma mater through the sport that provided him so many opportunities.
Like most young coaches, Enos’ climb up the ladder had to start somewhere. His began where his playing career ended, Michigan State.
For three years, Enos studied diligently as a graduate assistant coach. His climb up the coaching ranks took him outside the wolverine state with stops at Lakeland College and Southern Illinois (with a stop at Northern Michigan in between), but his return to Division I-A football was marked by his return home.
That opportunity came with Western Michigan, where Enos mentored the Broncos’ quarterbacks for three years. His guidance had an immediate impact as WMU captured a MAC West Division title in his first year. Enos’ knowledge of the position had WMU regularly among the MAC and national leaders in most passing categories (30th in passing yards in 2001).
Wanting to continue his ascent in the coaching ranks, Enos once again had to leave Michigan. He spent a year working as an offensive coordinator at North Dakota State and two more as quarterbacks coach at Cincinnati, under head coach Mark Dantonio.
When Dantonio took the Michigan State job, Enos did not hesitate to follow him back to East Lansing. His career had come full circle, as he once again became a fixture at his alma mater.
Enos displayed some versatility in his latest stop at MSU. He started out as quarterbacks coach and mentored Drew Stanton, a second-round pick in the NFL draft, in his senior year.
His past few years were spent focusing on the running backs, and the Spartans rushing attack was annually among the best in the nation. Enos helped MSU finish 25th in the country in rushing in his first year and then developed Javon Ringer into an All-American in his second.
With No. 23 Central Michigan looking for a head coach, Enos welcomed the chance to become a permanent fixture in Mount Pleasant.
“When this opportunity became available, I stuck my toes in the water to see what kind of feedback I would get,” Enos said. “When I was going through the interview process, I realized how much I wanted to be involved with this program and the people at Central Michigan.
“I began thinking about what attracted me to the job. The first was the strong academic reputation that Central Michigan has throughout the country. Second was the proud tradition the football team has, it was the class of the Mid-American Conference when I was growing up in Dearborn, just like it is now. The third was the people here. There is no question to me why CMU has been so successful, it is the great people the university has in place.”
CMU’s new coach walks into a standard of greatness that has been established by the football program’s recent success. The Chippewas have posted five straight winning seasons, appeared in four consecutive bowl games and won three Mid-American Conference Championships since the 2005 season, a stretch culminated by the school’s first top 25 ranking as a Division I program (no. 23 in the final Associated Press poll of the 2009 season).
Like any coach, Enos’ goal is perfection.
“We expect to continue winning championships consistently,” Enos said. “My vision for these young men is and will always be to hear our name mentioned in the same breath as the Boise States, TCUs and Utahs of the world and have the analysts saying what about Central Michigan. Our goal is to be 12-0 going in to the MAC Championship Game.”
If past history, particularly in his home state, is any indication, those words will soon be put into action.
