Central Michigan University Athletics
Men's Basketball
Andy Bronkema
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Year at CMU:
- 2nd year at CMU
- Hometown:
- McBain, Mich.
- Alma Mater/Year:
- Cornerstone/2007
- Experience:
- 21st year
A strong motivator and communicator, Michigan native and national champion Andy Bronkema is in his second year as Central Michigan’s head men’s basketball coach. Bronkema was named the 22nd basketball coach at Central Michigan University on April 15, 2025.
Hired late in the recruiting cycle, Bronkema quickly assembled an entirely new coaching staff and 15-player roster for the 2025-26 season in less than two months’ time. In his first campaign, his Chippewa team finished 10-21 overall and in 10th place in the Mid-American Conference with a 6-12 record. The Chippewas came within one game of advancing to the MAC Tournament. Notably, center Nathan Claerbaut was named to the All-MAC Defensive Team and set a school record by blocking 11 shots vs. rival Western Michigan. Guard Logan McIntire also set a school record with 12 3-pointers at Massachusetts.
Bronkema, a 20-year coaching veteran, led Ferris State to an NCAA Division II national championship, nine Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships, and nine NCAA tournament appearances. His Bulldogs won the 2017-18 national title, advanced to three NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteens, made nine overall NCAA tournament appearances, and accumulated a 278-105 overall record in 12 years. His Bulldogs produced four GLIAC regular season championships (2016-17, 2017-18, 2019-20, and 2021-22), five GLIAC tournament titles, 10 20-win seasons, and a 166-73 record in GLIAC play. He exited Ferris State after guiding the Bulldogs to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
“Andy’s ability to raise a program to excellence and sustain it at the highest level is impressive,” Folan said. “He is a Michigan native who has built his whole career in this state and is well-respected in the coaching ranks at many levels. He is the perfect fit for what we need at Central Michigan and at this time in intercollegiate athletics. Excellence and innovation are qualities that a coach needs to be successful in this current collegiate environment.”
“I want to thank Amy and President MacKinnon for the opportunity,” Bronkema said. “Through the process, our visions aligned well, and I look forward to working with them. I’m excited about becoming a member of the Mount Pleasant community and putting a team on the floor that everyone can be proud of and enjoy.”
“Coach Bronkema clearly understands how to create and sustain a winning culture that prepares student-athletes for tremendous success on the basketball court, in their educational careers, and for life after the game,” CMU President Neil MacKinnon said. “We are Fired Up to welcome him and his family to our community as he continues pushing for success as a CMU Chippewa.”
In the years preceding his move to Central Michigan, his 2024-25 Ferris State team finished 25-9 overall and 14-6 in the GLIAC, earning its fourth straight NCAA Division II Tournament appearance. The previous year, his 2023-24 team won the GLIAC Tournament Championship and the Midwest Regional Championship en route to an NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearance.
From 2015-18, Bronkema led the Bulldogs to four-straight GLIAC tournament championship games and NCAA Tournament appearances.
In 2017-18, Bronkema led Ferris State to one of the most historic seasons in NCAA Division II men’s basketball history as the Bulldogs claimed the school's first national championship with a memorable 38-1 record, tying the all-time mark for most wins in school history. For his efforts, Bronkema was a consensus choice for National Coach of the Year and led the Bulldogs to a second-straight GLIAC regular-season crown and the school's fourth straight tourney title.
The Bulldogs posted their sixth straight 20-win campaign in 2019-20, recapturing the GLIAC Championship and earning another NCAA Division II National Tournament berth. In 2016-17, Ferris State posted a then-school record 28-5 mark under Bronkema's direction, capturing both the GLIAC regular-season and tournament championships. FSU advanced to the Midwest Regional Semifinals and led the country in blocked shots for the second-straight year. The Bulldog men's basketball squad closed a memorable 2015-16 campaign with a 24-10 overall record. FSU also reached the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen while finishing with its first back-to-back 20-win campaigns since the late 1980's. The Bulldogs made their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament under his direction in 2014-15 after claiming the league tournament title.
Before earning the head coaching job at Ferris State, Bronkema served as the Bulldogs’ top assistant coach for six years from 2007-13. He was named interim head coach after the resignation of former head coach and colleague Bill Sall, who accepted the head coaching position at fellow Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) counterpart Northern Michigan. An individual with championship experience at every stop of his prep and collegiate playing and coaching career, Bronkema was heavily involved with all phases of the program as the top assistant coach, including recruiting, scouting, on-floor coaching, and administrative tasks in addition to running the summer camp program, assisting with fundraising efforts, and monitoring the program's academic progress.
In his first year as the program's top assistant in 2010-11, the Bulldogs won the GLIAC North Division Championship and reached the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen. FSU followed up the memorable campaign by winning a share of a second-straight GLIAC North Division crown in 2011-12. The Bulldogs made five-straight league tournament berths in Bronkema's tenure as an assistant coach, and FSU recorded more victories in the competitive GLIAC North than any other school in his three years as the top assistant. Bronkema helped recruit, coach, and develop seven all-conference players and a pair of All-Americans during his stint as an assistant coach, including 2010-11 Division II National Player of the Year Justin Keenan.
He worked three seasons as an assistant on the Bulldog staff from 2007-10 while also teaching elementary physical education at Crossroads Charter Academy in Big Rapids. The Bulldogs averaged 15 wins per year and twice reached the GLIAC postseason tournament in that stretch, as he assisted in all aspects of the program with an emphasis on player development.
Before his arrival at FSU, Bronkema was a two-time All-American and three-time all-conference student-athlete at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Mich., where he captained championship teams and earned academic honors. A two-year captain, he was selected as a recipient of the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan (BCAM) Scholar-Athlete Award. In his four years of college hoops, Bronkema led Cornerstone to two regular-season WHAC Championships, one WHAC Tournament crown, and four national tournament appearances, including a NAIA Final Four showing. He concluded his collegiate career with 1,725 points, 982 rebounds, 336 assists, and 140 steals.
As a prepster, Bronkema was a three-sport athlete and competed in football, basketball, and baseball at McBain High School in Northern Michigan. He was part of 14 championship teams at McBain and helped the Ramblers to a state hoops title in 2002, as well as a state football runner-up finish in 2001.
A member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), Bronkema also holds membership in the BCAM, the Michigan High School Coaches Association, and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Cornerstone University in 2007 and received his master’s degree in education at Ferris State in 2016. While at FSU, he also served as an adjunct professor in the College of Education and Human Services.
Bronkema’s father, Joel, sister Emily Michalak, great-grandmother, and grandmother are all Central Michigan graduates.
Bronkema resides in Mount Pleasant. He has three daughters: Eliana (15), Cambria (14), and Seneca (9).
THE BRONKEMA FILE
Date hired as CMU Head Coach: April 14, 2025
Hometown: McBain, Mich.
Family: three daughters: Eliana (15), Cambria (14), Seneca (9)
Education
Bachelor’s degree, Education, Cornerstone University (Mich.), 2007
Master’s degree, Education, Ferris State University, 2016
Coaching Career
Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Central Michigan University, 2025-current
Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Ferris State University, 2013-25
Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach, Ferris State University, 2007-13
Coaching Accomplishments
2017-18 NCAA Division II national champions … 2017-18 National Coach of the Year honoree by the NABC … two NCAA Division II regional titles … three NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen appearances … nine NCAA Division II tournament appearances (2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2019-20, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25) … four GLIAC regular season championships (2016-17, 2017-18, 2019-20, and 2021-22) … five GLIAC tournament titles … two-time GLIAC Coach of the Year honoree (2016-17 and 2017-18).
YEAR-BY-YEAR WITH ANDY BRONKEMA AT FERRIS STATE (2013-26)
YEAR-BY-YEAR WITH ANDY BRONKEMA AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN (2025-current)
Hired late in the recruiting cycle, Bronkema quickly assembled an entirely new coaching staff and 15-player roster for the 2025-26 season in less than two months’ time. In his first campaign, his Chippewa team finished 10-21 overall and in 10th place in the Mid-American Conference with a 6-12 record. The Chippewas came within one game of advancing to the MAC Tournament. Notably, center Nathan Claerbaut was named to the All-MAC Defensive Team and set a school record by blocking 11 shots vs. rival Western Michigan. Guard Logan McIntire also set a school record with 12 3-pointers at Massachusetts.
Bronkema, a 20-year coaching veteran, led Ferris State to an NCAA Division II national championship, nine Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships, and nine NCAA tournament appearances. His Bulldogs won the 2017-18 national title, advanced to three NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteens, made nine overall NCAA tournament appearances, and accumulated a 278-105 overall record in 12 years. His Bulldogs produced four GLIAC regular season championships (2016-17, 2017-18, 2019-20, and 2021-22), five GLIAC tournament titles, 10 20-win seasons, and a 166-73 record in GLIAC play. He exited Ferris State after guiding the Bulldogs to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
“Andy’s ability to raise a program to excellence and sustain it at the highest level is impressive,” Folan said. “He is a Michigan native who has built his whole career in this state and is well-respected in the coaching ranks at many levels. He is the perfect fit for what we need at Central Michigan and at this time in intercollegiate athletics. Excellence and innovation are qualities that a coach needs to be successful in this current collegiate environment.”
“I want to thank Amy and President MacKinnon for the opportunity,” Bronkema said. “Through the process, our visions aligned well, and I look forward to working with them. I’m excited about becoming a member of the Mount Pleasant community and putting a team on the floor that everyone can be proud of and enjoy.”
“Coach Bronkema clearly understands how to create and sustain a winning culture that prepares student-athletes for tremendous success on the basketball court, in their educational careers, and for life after the game,” CMU President Neil MacKinnon said. “We are Fired Up to welcome him and his family to our community as he continues pushing for success as a CMU Chippewa.”
In the years preceding his move to Central Michigan, his 2024-25 Ferris State team finished 25-9 overall and 14-6 in the GLIAC, earning its fourth straight NCAA Division II Tournament appearance. The previous year, his 2023-24 team won the GLIAC Tournament Championship and the Midwest Regional Championship en route to an NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearance.
From 2015-18, Bronkema led the Bulldogs to four-straight GLIAC tournament championship games and NCAA Tournament appearances.
In 2017-18, Bronkema led Ferris State to one of the most historic seasons in NCAA Division II men’s basketball history as the Bulldogs claimed the school's first national championship with a memorable 38-1 record, tying the all-time mark for most wins in school history. For his efforts, Bronkema was a consensus choice for National Coach of the Year and led the Bulldogs to a second-straight GLIAC regular-season crown and the school's fourth straight tourney title.
The Bulldogs posted their sixth straight 20-win campaign in 2019-20, recapturing the GLIAC Championship and earning another NCAA Division II National Tournament berth. In 2016-17, Ferris State posted a then-school record 28-5 mark under Bronkema's direction, capturing both the GLIAC regular-season and tournament championships. FSU advanced to the Midwest Regional Semifinals and led the country in blocked shots for the second-straight year. The Bulldog men's basketball squad closed a memorable 2015-16 campaign with a 24-10 overall record. FSU also reached the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen while finishing with its first back-to-back 20-win campaigns since the late 1980's. The Bulldogs made their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament under his direction in 2014-15 after claiming the league tournament title.
Before earning the head coaching job at Ferris State, Bronkema served as the Bulldogs’ top assistant coach for six years from 2007-13. He was named interim head coach after the resignation of former head coach and colleague Bill Sall, who accepted the head coaching position at fellow Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) counterpart Northern Michigan. An individual with championship experience at every stop of his prep and collegiate playing and coaching career, Bronkema was heavily involved with all phases of the program as the top assistant coach, including recruiting, scouting, on-floor coaching, and administrative tasks in addition to running the summer camp program, assisting with fundraising efforts, and monitoring the program's academic progress.
In his first year as the program's top assistant in 2010-11, the Bulldogs won the GLIAC North Division Championship and reached the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen. FSU followed up the memorable campaign by winning a share of a second-straight GLIAC North Division crown in 2011-12. The Bulldogs made five-straight league tournament berths in Bronkema's tenure as an assistant coach, and FSU recorded more victories in the competitive GLIAC North than any other school in his three years as the top assistant. Bronkema helped recruit, coach, and develop seven all-conference players and a pair of All-Americans during his stint as an assistant coach, including 2010-11 Division II National Player of the Year Justin Keenan.
He worked three seasons as an assistant on the Bulldog staff from 2007-10 while also teaching elementary physical education at Crossroads Charter Academy in Big Rapids. The Bulldogs averaged 15 wins per year and twice reached the GLIAC postseason tournament in that stretch, as he assisted in all aspects of the program with an emphasis on player development.
Before his arrival at FSU, Bronkema was a two-time All-American and three-time all-conference student-athlete at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Mich., where he captained championship teams and earned academic honors. A two-year captain, he was selected as a recipient of the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan (BCAM) Scholar-Athlete Award. In his four years of college hoops, Bronkema led Cornerstone to two regular-season WHAC Championships, one WHAC Tournament crown, and four national tournament appearances, including a NAIA Final Four showing. He concluded his collegiate career with 1,725 points, 982 rebounds, 336 assists, and 140 steals.
As a prepster, Bronkema was a three-sport athlete and competed in football, basketball, and baseball at McBain High School in Northern Michigan. He was part of 14 championship teams at McBain and helped the Ramblers to a state hoops title in 2002, as well as a state football runner-up finish in 2001.
A member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), Bronkema also holds membership in the BCAM, the Michigan High School Coaches Association, and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Cornerstone University in 2007 and received his master’s degree in education at Ferris State in 2016. While at FSU, he also served as an adjunct professor in the College of Education and Human Services.
Bronkema’s father, Joel, sister Emily Michalak, great-grandmother, and grandmother are all Central Michigan graduates.
Bronkema resides in Mount Pleasant. He has three daughters: Eliana (15), Cambria (14), and Seneca (9).
THE BRONKEMA FILE
Date hired as CMU Head Coach: April 14, 2025
Hometown: McBain, Mich.
Family: three daughters: Eliana (15), Cambria (14), Seneca (9)
Education
Bachelor’s degree, Education, Cornerstone University (Mich.), 2007
Master’s degree, Education, Ferris State University, 2016
Coaching Career
Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Central Michigan University, 2025-current
Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Ferris State University, 2013-25
Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach, Ferris State University, 2007-13
Coaching Accomplishments
2017-18 NCAA Division II national champions … 2017-18 National Coach of the Year honoree by the NABC … two NCAA Division II regional titles … three NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen appearances … nine NCAA Division II tournament appearances (2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2019-20, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25) … four GLIAC regular season championships (2016-17, 2017-18, 2019-20, and 2021-22) … five GLIAC tournament titles … two-time GLIAC Coach of the Year honoree (2016-17 and 2017-18).
YEAR-BY-YEAR WITH ANDY BRONKEMA AT FERRIS STATE (2013-26)
| Year | W-L | GLIAC | GLIAC place | Notes |
| 2013-14 | 10-16 | 9-13 | 10th place | -- |
| 2014-15 | 23-9 | 16-6 | 2nd place | NCAA Division II Round of 64 |
| 2015-16 | 24-10 | 13-9 | 6th place | NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen |
| 2016-17 | 28-5 | 18-3 | 1st place | NCAA Division II Second Round |
| 2017-18 | 38-1 | 19-1 | 1st place | NCAA Division II national champions |
| 2018-19 | 20-12 | 12-8 | 4th place | -- |
| 2019-20 | 27-6 | 16-4 | 1st place | NCAA Division II appearance |
| 2020-21 | 9-11 | 8-8 | 4th place | -- |
| 2021-22 | 22-9 | 16-4 | T-1st place | NCAA Division II appearance |
| 2022-23 | 24-9 | 13-5 | T-2nd place | NCAA Division II appearance |
| 2023-24 | 28-8 | 12-6 | 3rd place | NCAA Division II Elite Eight |
| 2024-25 | 25-9 | 14-6 | 3rd place | NCAA Division II appearance |
| Overall | 278-105 | 166-73 | -- | 9 NCAA Division II Tournament appearances |
YEAR-BY-YEAR WITH ANDY BRONKEMA AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN (2025-current)
| Year | W-L | W-L MAC | MAC place | Notes |
| 2025-26 | 10-21 | 6-12 | 10th place | 1st year at CMU |
| at CMU | 10-21 | 6-12 | -- | 1-year |
| Overall | 288-126 | 172-85 | -- | -- |
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