Central Michigan University Athletics
McElwain Adds 5 To Staff
3/16/2022 9:36:00 AM | Football
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Central Michigan football coach Jim McElwain has announced the addition of five members of his coaching/support staff.
Joining the staff are Tom Mason, assistant head coach/linebackers; Paul Petrino, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks; William Vlachos, offensive line; Ryan McNamara, general manager and Chris Calley, recruiting coordinator.
In addition, Tavita Thompson has been promoted to passing game coordinator/tight ends after serving last season as the tackles/tight ends coach.
"Every year you go through transition and I'm really excited for the guys who have moved on and gotten opportunities," said McElwain, who led the Chippewas to a 9-4 finish, the Mid-American Conference West Division co-championship and a Sun Bowl victory in 2021, his third season at the helm. "It's always exciting: New faces, new ideas, new thoughts to keep building on what we've been doing."
• Mason, who played linebacker at Nevada in the mid-1970s, brings more than 40 years of coaching experience including stops on the professional, Football Championship Subdivision and Football Bowl Subdivision levels. Among the number of schools on his resumé are UTEP, Hawaii, SMU, Fresno State and Nevada. He has twice served as an interim head coach, once at SMU and once at Boise State.
"We're really excited about being able to bring in a guy, a longtime friend and a great coach who's got a bunch of not only head coaching experience but defensive coordinator experience, in Tom Mason," McElwain said. "He's a guy that has been in and out of a lot of different systems and I think that's really important to adapt to our players."
• Petrino served for the past nine seasons as the head coach Idaho and prior to that was an assistant at Arkansas, Illinois, Louisville, Southern Miss and Utah State. He spent one year with the Atlanta Falcons as an assistant. He got his start at Carroll (Mont.) College as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 1990-91 and then moved on to Idaho as an assistant. He played quarterback at Carroll from 1985-88.
"I've always been a huge fan of Paul and what he's done offensively," McElwain said. "Which his background, his lineage he'll be able to come in and keep building on what we've been doing offensively.
"Quite honestly, to be able to get a guy with his experience at Central Michigan, I just can't tell you how fortunate we are for that."
• Thompson came to CMU in 2018 as the program's tackles/tight ends coach and is the longest-serving member of the staff.
• Vlachos spent the past two seasons at Colorado and before that was an assistant with the Buffalo Bills and prior to that spent five years on staff at Alabama, his alma mater.
Vlachos was an All-American center at Alabama as a senior in 2011 and helped the Crimson Tide to two national championships as a player and then two as a coach. He was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference selection and played in 48 games with the Tide, the final 40 consecutive of those as starts.
He replaces Mike Cummings, who accepted an assistant coaching position at Cincinnati.
"Coach Cummings, obviously with our offensive linemen, he developed guys and he's a hell of a coach and I'm excited for his opportunity," said McElwain, who was the offensive coordinator for a time at Alabama when Vlachos played there. "I think (Vlachos) might have lost three or four games as a starter his entire career. And then he went into the NFL … getting a guy who's not too far removed (from playing), but has that experience, I think it's exciting for our group of guys in that offensive line room."
• McNamara has served in quality control at Florida since 2015 – McElwain coached the Gators from 2015-17 – and prior to that was an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Valdosta State and also worked on the staff at Mississippi.
"Bringing in Ryan McNamara, who I've got a long history with … he has done a great job in talent evaluation and in doing the things that we need from that side," McElwain said.
• Calley, a native Detroiter, coached for the past four seasons at Wayne State in Detroit and prior to that coaches at Lindenwood-Belleville and at Urbana. He also coached at Chandler Park Academy High School in Harper Woods, Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and at Adrian College, his alma mater, where he was a standout cornerback.
"Chris Calley is a local guy from the state of Michigan, played high school ball in Michigan, coached at Wayne State," McElwain said. "He gives us that bridge that we really need, I think, in our footprint.
Joining the staff are Tom Mason, assistant head coach/linebackers; Paul Petrino, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks; William Vlachos, offensive line; Ryan McNamara, general manager and Chris Calley, recruiting coordinator.
In addition, Tavita Thompson has been promoted to passing game coordinator/tight ends after serving last season as the tackles/tight ends coach.
"Every year you go through transition and I'm really excited for the guys who have moved on and gotten opportunities," said McElwain, who led the Chippewas to a 9-4 finish, the Mid-American Conference West Division co-championship and a Sun Bowl victory in 2021, his third season at the helm. "It's always exciting: New faces, new ideas, new thoughts to keep building on what we've been doing."
• Mason, who played linebacker at Nevada in the mid-1970s, brings more than 40 years of coaching experience including stops on the professional, Football Championship Subdivision and Football Bowl Subdivision levels. Among the number of schools on his resumé are UTEP, Hawaii, SMU, Fresno State and Nevada. He has twice served as an interim head coach, once at SMU and once at Boise State.
"We're really excited about being able to bring in a guy, a longtime friend and a great coach who's got a bunch of not only head coaching experience but defensive coordinator experience, in Tom Mason," McElwain said. "He's a guy that has been in and out of a lot of different systems and I think that's really important to adapt to our players."
• Petrino served for the past nine seasons as the head coach Idaho and prior to that was an assistant at Arkansas, Illinois, Louisville, Southern Miss and Utah State. He spent one year with the Atlanta Falcons as an assistant. He got his start at Carroll (Mont.) College as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 1990-91 and then moved on to Idaho as an assistant. He played quarterback at Carroll from 1985-88.
"I've always been a huge fan of Paul and what he's done offensively," McElwain said. "Which his background, his lineage he'll be able to come in and keep building on what we've been doing offensively.
"Quite honestly, to be able to get a guy with his experience at Central Michigan, I just can't tell you how fortunate we are for that."
• Thompson came to CMU in 2018 as the program's tackles/tight ends coach and is the longest-serving member of the staff.
• Vlachos spent the past two seasons at Colorado and before that was an assistant with the Buffalo Bills and prior to that spent five years on staff at Alabama, his alma mater.
Vlachos was an All-American center at Alabama as a senior in 2011 and helped the Crimson Tide to two national championships as a player and then two as a coach. He was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference selection and played in 48 games with the Tide, the final 40 consecutive of those as starts.
He replaces Mike Cummings, who accepted an assistant coaching position at Cincinnati.
"Coach Cummings, obviously with our offensive linemen, he developed guys and he's a hell of a coach and I'm excited for his opportunity," said McElwain, who was the offensive coordinator for a time at Alabama when Vlachos played there. "I think (Vlachos) might have lost three or four games as a starter his entire career. And then he went into the NFL … getting a guy who's not too far removed (from playing), but has that experience, I think it's exciting for our group of guys in that offensive line room."
• McNamara has served in quality control at Florida since 2015 – McElwain coached the Gators from 2015-17 – and prior to that was an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Valdosta State and also worked on the staff at Mississippi.
"Bringing in Ryan McNamara, who I've got a long history with … he has done a great job in talent evaluation and in doing the things that we need from that side," McElwain said.
• Calley, a native Detroiter, coached for the past four seasons at Wayne State in Detroit and prior to that coaches at Lindenwood-Belleville and at Urbana. He also coached at Chandler Park Academy High School in Harper Woods, Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and at Adrian College, his alma mater, where he was a standout cornerback.
"Chris Calley is a local guy from the state of Michigan, played high school ball in Michigan, coached at Wayne State," McElwain said. "He gives us that bridge that we really need, I think, in our footprint.
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