Jim McElwain completes football coaching staff at Central Michigan
Since Central Michigan announced Jim McElwain as its new head football coach in early December, reports of assistant coaching hires have trickled in.
After nearly two months, McElwain's entire staff is complete. The additions, while confirmed with multiple sources in the athletic department, have yet to be announced by CMU.
Central Michigan Life already reported the additions of McElwain, Charlie Frye, Kevin Barbay, Robb Akey, Justin Hinds, Mark DeBastiani and Ryan Beard, while FootballScoop reported Mike Cummings and Cornell Jackson joining the Chippewas.
CM Life has confirmed the report from FootballScoop regarding Cummings and Jackson.
As outlined in his contract, McElwain has $1,020,000 to spend on his assistant coaches.
Mike Cummings
In 2017 and 2018, Cummings worked as the tight ends and offensive line coach for the Virginia Military Institute. He spent 2014-16 coaching the offensive line and partially as the offensive coordinator for Connecticut.
Prior to Cummings' time at UConn, he was the offensive coordinator at CMU for four years (2009-13). Cummings was responsible for offensive tackle Eric Fisher, who was selected first overall in the 2013 NFL Draft.
Cummings was also the offensive line coach for the Chippewas from 1992-97 and again in 1999, making this stint his fourth in Mount Pleasant. He was a graduate assistant at CMU during the 1988 and 1989 seasons.
Cornell Jackson
Before coming in as CMU's running back coach for 2019, Jackson was at UTEP in the same capacity during the 2018 season.
Even though Jackson played defensive back in college, he has coached on both sides of the ball for over 25 years.
From 2009-12, he was the running backs coach for Purdue. Since then, he's served as the running backs coach at UTEP under coaches Sean Kugler and Dana Dimel.
"I don't think that Jackson's knowledge of the game can be questioned," said Kugler, UTEP's coach from 2013-17. "He's spent time coaching the running backs at multiple schools from the power conferences around college football. He also spent time doing a running backs internship with the Broncos under Mike Shannahan. That's intriguing."
The full Central Michigan football coaching staff:
Head coach: Jim McElwain
Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach: Charlie Frye
Offensive line coach: Mike Cummings
Running backs coach: Cornell Jackson
Wide receivers coach/assistant head coach: Kevin Barbay
Tight ends coach: Tavita Thompson
Defensive coordinator: Robb Akey
Defensive line coach: Justin Hinds
Linebackers coach: Mark DeBastiani
Defensive backs coach: Cory Hall
Safeties coach/special teams coordinator: Ryan Beard
