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College Football Recruiting, Opinion, and Analysis

Ben Arbuckle, Jason Eck, and More Possible Head Coach Candidates for Central Michigan

Who joins Ben Arbuckle and Jason Eck as five Head Coach options for the Central Michigan Chippewas?

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By Mike Huesmann

Jim McElwain has decided to retire at the end of the 2024 season, that’s the official party line and I’m sticking to it. He is under investigation for issues related to the Connor Stallions stuff, but no one on planet earth is sicker of hearing, talking, and reading about that so we’re not expanding.

Over six seasons with the Chippewas, McElwain has gone 33-35 and has either finished first or fourth in the division every year, there was no in-between or worse. I think he’s a solid coach for the G5, but it might not be the worst thing for CMU to start over. Here are five candidates for the job.

Ben Arbuckle

Washington State, Offensive Coordinator

Arbuckle is already on his second FBS OC job and he isn’t even 30. He spent multiple years at Western Kentucky as a quality control before being promoted to QB coach and OC. Arbuckle is a good coach and his tutoring of John Mateer this year has been stellar. He will be a prime candidate for a team looking for a young, dynamic, and offensive-minded coach. We know plenty of teams will want that.

Zach Azzianni

Pittsburgh Steelers, WR Coach

Azzianni is both an alumnus here and a former assistant coach. His pedigree and experience make him an obvious candidate if he has any interest in leaving the NFL, and that is a big if. A former Urban Meyer assistant coach he has coached at a litany of top-notch jobs, including; Florida, Tennessee, Western Kentucky, Wisconsin, and in the NFL with the Jets, Broncos, and Bears. Will the timeframe of the NFL season and the Steelers as a likely playoff team hurt his chances?

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Jason Eck

Idaho, Head Coach

A former MAC assistant at Ball State. Eck has been the Vandals boss since 2022. He took over a program who hadn’t had a winning season since 2016 and has taken them to back-to-back playoff appearances, including a quarterfinal trip this past Fall. Eck has FBS experience at Wisconsin, Colorado, Ball State, and Idaho when they were still a member. If he wants to go to the FBS now, he’d be a guy I would look at.

Deland McCullough

Notre Dame, Associate HC/RB Coach

A former MAC player at Miami (OH), he knows the Midwest well. He has been with the Irish for three seasons and before that, he coached at Indiana, USC, Miami (OH), and with the Kansas City Chiefs. His name is heating up as a head coaching candidate, especially in the Midwest and Northeast. He could be one to watch for Ball State, Temple, and UMass, as well. His star is hot right now and this could be the right time for him to take a head job.

Tim Banks

Tennessee, Defensive Coordinator

Another CMU alumni and former assistant coach, Banks is in charge of arguably the best run defense in the nation this year. Prior to Tennessee, Banks had stops at Penn State, Illinois, Cincinnati, Maryland, Memphis, and Bowling Green, in addition to CMU. He knows that part of the country and the MAC extremely well. He’d also be able to utilize the portal and his connections to beef up the roster. If he has interest in the job CMU would be foolish not to at least consider him and reach out. 

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