Coach Dan Enos has a lot riding on his shoulders
Central Michigan University’s football program saw a fresh, new face take the podium as its head coach Tuesday.
Dan Enos, coming from a four-year stint as running backs coach at Michigan State, was chosen over CMU offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian and Illinois defensive backs coach Curt Mallory to inherit a program where expectations are higher than ever.
Enos is not coming into his new job with CMU experience like previous coach Butch Jones did.
But he’ll be expected to live up to the foundation of winning that Jones, and Brian Kelly before him, helped build.
Good luck, Enos. After all, you, the team, the university and the city all need it.
You are taking over a program that has won three of the last four Mid-American Conference championships, attended four consecutive bowl games and ranked No. 23 in the final Associated Press Top 25 released last week.
But you also take over a team that will be without several of the team’s all-time greatest playmakers, including quarterback Dan LeFevour, receivers Antonio Brown and Bryan Anderson, and defensive end Frank Zombo, heading into your first season.
Football is not just a game in Mount Pleasant.
It is an economic driving force for local businesses and Central Michigan University.
It brings thousands of passionate people together in a city that ranks among the lowest in population among those that host a Division I football program.
Very few outside of Mount Pleasant know it, but we do. These days, the city thrives on its football team.
The boom it gets from game weeks and especially game days can be staggering compared to the offseason.
It is going to be critical to turn a new pack of players into MAC stars.
Is Enos the right hire for Athletics Director Dave Heeke to maintain this tradition, despite offering no previous experience at CMU?
Obviously, time will tell.
But despite anything else said, Enos knows he is brought to CMU to do one thing: Win.
Much like Kelly and Jones before him.
One good sign is that Heeke’s track record thus far in hiring football coaches is 1-for-1.
Jones had a draw to him because of his previous time at Central and his commitment to Michigan.
But, as we saw with his departure to Cincinnati last month, Heeke can not afford to worry about whether a coach will stay if he continues winning.
Enos will do his part in keeping the team out of trouble — Michigan State, his former team, entered Jan. 2’s Alamo Bowl against Texas Tech without eleven players that were dismissed or suspended because of being identified in a Nov. 22 on-campus assault.
CMU could do without that sort of negative attention.
But Enos’ main goal should be to refrain from fixing what isn’t broken — maintain the winning tradition at Central for at least another three seasons before a larger football program catches your eye.
