Mark DeBastiani - Football Coach - Central Michigan University Athletics

Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw

Mark DeBastiani

Title:
Senior Defensive Analyst
Phone:
@CoachDeBastiani (X)
Year at CMU:
3rd year of 2nd stint at CMU
Hometown:
Arthurdale, W.Va.
Alma Mater/Year:
Shepherd College (W.Va.)/1993
Experience:
32nd year

Mark DeBastiani begins his third year of his second stint at Central Michigan, this time as a Senior Defensive Analyst. DeBastiani was brought back to Central Michigan by Jim McElwain as Senior Director of Football Relations and Student-Athlete Engagement for the 2023 season. He was retained by new head coach Matt Drinkall in December 2024.

A 32-year coaching veteran, DeBastiani spent the 2024 season coaching the Chippewas’ linebackers unit. CMU’s linebackers were the program’s most successful unit as Jordan Kwiatkowski earned Second Team All-MAC honors after leading the Chippewas with 96.0 tackles (48 solo) and 14.0 tackles for loss. The unit also featured Justin Whiteside (58 tackles, 3.0 sacks), Dakota Cochran (54 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss), and Lawai’a Brown (38 tackles).

DeBastiani returned to CMU for a second tenure in 2023, where he served as Linebackers Coach in 2019. In his one season with the Chippewas in 2019, he helped the program to the second-biggest turnaround in college football with a seven-win improvement from the previous year. CMU finished 8-6 after earning berths to the MAC championship game and New Mexico Bowl. CMU's rushing defense ranked among the nation’s top-25, the Chippewas led the MAC and ranked No. 8 in the nation in tackles for loss (7.9 per game). DeBastiani coached linebacker Troy Brown to first-team All-MAC honors and Michael Oliver to second-team accolades, with Brown topping all league players with 18 tackles for loss.

Between his CMU stints, DeBastiani spent three seasons at Appalachian State as the Safeties Coach in 2020 and Outside Linebackers Coach in 2021-22. Reese’s Senior Bowl participant Nick Hampton and all-conference selection Jalen McLeod combined for 13 sacks as App State’s outside linebackers totaled 20.5 sacks. Contributing to a 10-win regular season in 2021, DeBastiani coached a group led by Hampton, who earned First Team All-Sun Belt honors from PFF College thanks to a 2021 season that included 17.5 tackles for loss and 11.0 sacks, the highest total by an App State defender in the FBS era. App State ranked No. 5 nationally with 112 tackles for loss and No. 14 with 15 interceptions.

In 2020, App State’s three primary safeties combined for 144 tackles and accounted for six of the team’s 15 interceptions. A first-time starter that season, Kaiden Smith posted 77 tackles and intercepted two passes on the way to All-Sun Belt third-team honors, while Ryan Huff picked off three passes and Nicholas Ross added one interception. The Mountaineers led the nation in passes defended (74, counting the 15 interceptions) and lowest completion percentage allowed (48.0) in 2020.

DeBastiani coached the defensive tackles at App State from 1995-96 in his first stop at the school. In 1995, App State went undefeated in the regular season, won the Southern Conference championship and advanced to the FCS quarterfinals.

In 2018, DeBastiani served as the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Alabama A&M, leading a unit that ranked second in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in points allowed and third in total yardage, continuing a long-running trend of solid defense wherever he has coached.

DeBastiani was a defensive quality control coach at Florida from 2015-17, specifically helping coach the linebackers. He helped lead the Gators to the SEC East division championship and the Citrus Bowl in 2015.

DeBastiani-led defenses at Norfolk State, which annually ranked in the top-10 in total defense among FCS schools during his 10-year tenure from 2005-14. He was a finalist for the 2014 Coordinator of the Year Award when Norfolk State finished No. 2 nationally in total defense. His unit also ranked No. 2 among all FCS teams during the team's MEAC championship run in 2011 and No. 3 in 2012.

DeBastiani was the defensive line coach and video coordinator at Bethune-Cookman for eight seasons prior to the move to Norfolk State. There, he helped turn the Bethune-Cookman defense into a force. The Wildcats' 3-4 ball-hawking defense was a key to the team's ascent to the top of the MEAC. The Wildcats ranked No. 13 and No. 8, respectively, in FCS total defense during their two national playoff seasons in 2002 and 2003. BCU ranked second in the conference in 2004 in scoring defense and total defense. He also helped tutor one All-American, defensive lineman Damion Cook, from 1997-2000.

DeBastiani began his coaching career in 1993 when he was named the offensive and defensive line coach at his alma mater, NCAA Division II Shepherd (W. Va.) College, where he helped the Rams to the 1994 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship.

A native of Arthurdale, W.Va., DeBastiani earned his bachelor’s degree in health from Shepherd in 1993. He lettered three years for the football team and started two years at center. During his career there, he was a member of back-to-back WVIAC championship teams (1991-92).

DeBastiani is married to his wife Lisa and has three children: Ben, Maria, and Heather.

THE DEBASTIANI FILE

Hometown: Arthurdale, W.Va.

Family
Wife Lisa, children Ben, Maria, Heather

Education
Bachelor of Arts, Health, Shepherd College (W.Va.), 1993

Coaching Career
Senior Defensive Analyst, Central Michigan University, 2025-current
Senior Director/Football Relations & Student-Athlete Engagement, Central Michigan University, 2023-24
Outside Linebackers Coach, Appalachian State University, 2021-22
Safeties Coach, Appalachian State University, 2020
Linebackers Coach, Central Michigan University, 2019
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach, Alabama A&M University, 2018
Defensive Quality Control/Linebackers, University of Florida, 2015-17
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers, Norfolk State University, 2005-14
Defensive Line Coach/Video Coordinator, Bethune-Cookman University, 1997-2004
Defensive Line Coach, Appalachian State, 1995-96
Graduate Assistant, Shepherd College, 1993-94

Playing Career
Earned three letters as a center at Shepherd College (W.Va.) … Led the Rams to two WVIAC championships in 1991 and 1992.