Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Hit The Field For Spring Practice
3/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - John Bonamego's first year as the Central Michigan football coach was about as up and down as they come.
The former CMU walk-on had landed his dream job last February, taking charge of the program at his alma mater. Then came a cancer diagnosis and ensuing treatment, followed by a season in which his Chippewas exceeded expectations by capturing a share of the Mid-American Conference West Division title and earning a berth in the Quick Lane Bowl.
Bonamego's infectious enthusiasm never wavered through any of it, and his resolute demeanor was unchanged Tuesday as he put his charges through their first spring practice in the turf bay at CMU's Indoor Athletic Complex.
"If I ever feel that I'm not excited to come to work, I'll quit and find something else to do," said Bonamego, who guided CMU to a 7-6 finish in 2015. "I still get butterflies before games and I still get excited to talk to the team every morning."
The excitement level was, as always, in high gear. The coach's comfort level was on cruise control in sharp contrast to a year ago when spring practice got under way.
His entire coaching staff has returned in tact, and the getting-to-know-you period for the coach and players is in the rearview mirror.
"There's a huge difference between year one and two," Bonamego said. "I think this time last year there were still a lot of names that I didn't know. Knowing your personnel, both the staff and players, is very important and a huge difference between year one and year two."
While the Chippewas will look to replace seven starters - three on offense, four on defense - they are set at the most critical spot, quarterback.
Senior Cooper Rush is back for his fourth year as the Chippewas' starter, and he is among the best - if not the best - in the Mid-American Conference.
"It felt good to be back here with the guys -- tons of energy and excitement," Rush said. "Playing in all of those games has helped a lot. It's weird being the old guy now, but it's been great and I'm ready for it.
"We talk every day about winning championships. We're a real tight group that is focused and I'm excited to see how spring goes."
Rush completed 66.3 percent of his passes last season for 3,848 yards and 25 touchdowns. He has thrown for more than 9,000 yards and 67 TDs in his career and is already among the best at his position in program history.
"The sky's the limit for Cooper Rush," Bonamego said. "He has high expectations for himself and we have high expectations for him as well."
Offensively, the Chippewas will look to replace two mainstays on the interior of the line in center Nick Beamish and tackle Ramadan Ahmeti.
On defense, there are big shoes to fill with the graduation of end Blake Serpa and safety Kavon Frazier.
"It was a good practice overall," Bonamego said. "They were a little bit rusty, which is to be expected. There's a lot to work on this time of year. You're getting a chance to look and some new things and young players.
"I really think the extra practice time that we had in our bowl preparation and how we structured that helped, especially in the early weeks. It's good to see them out running around. I like the tempo overall for the first day."
Bonamego said he is especially pleased with the offseason weight room and conditioning work, led by strength and conditioning coach Jason Novak.
"You can see the changes to the bodies and some of the movement skills," he said. "Jason Novak has done a great job with these guys during their down time. It's really showing up and once we get through spring ball he will have another chance to put his hooks in and we should see another spike before we come back for training camp."
