There is one word that comes to mind in regards to the highly unusual move by Central Michigan head coach Dan Enos to resign in order to become offensive coordinator of the Arkansas Razorbacks: Why?
Enos, a native of Dearborn, Mich., was the head coach of Central Michigan since 2010, following Butch Jones and Brian Kelly. Following those high profile coaches was perhaps part of the reason for his decision to leave. Jones and Kelly had greater success at CMU and went on to bigger and better things at Notre Dame and Tennessee, and their success has cast a large shadow over the rural Mount Pleasant campus and its football program.
$EC Money
Money certainly does talk in this move. Enos was making $360,000 last year, which was third to last among division one coaches. He will make $550,000 annually as the Arkansas offensive coordinator. Enos will replace Jim Chaney, who left for the offensive coordinator job at Pitt under his friend Pat Narduzzi.
Marginal Success at CMU
Jones’ final season at Central Michigan ended with a 12-2 record and Mid-American Conference championship. Enos went 3-9 in each of his first two seasons, which added to the pressure of the job and the comparisons to Jones and Kelly. In his final three seasons, Enos went 20-18.
“I had a great job, and obviously it would just take an unbelievable opportunity to leave something like that,” said Enos. “And that’s how my family and I view this, too good of an opportunity not to pursue and look at.”
Ground Hogs
Enos and Arkansas Brett Bielema know each other well from Bielema’s days in the Big Ten as head coach of Wisconsin, when Enos was an assistant at Michigan State. Bielema has built a unique culture and style based on power football at Arkansas, which has a similar style to that of those Michigan State teams that Enos helped coach under head man Mark Dantonio.
Enos will be expected to continue the improvement of the powerful Arkansas ground game that has become a key ingredient to its new found success. The Hogs finished 7-6 and destroyed Texas 31-7 in their bowl game.
“The challenge of winning a championship in the SEC and developing young men at the highest level of college football is very attractive,” said Enos. “Bret and I share many of the same philosophies, and I’m excited to open the next chapter of my coaching career down in Fayetteville.”
The departure comes at the worst possible time for Central Michigan with National Signing Day just a week and a half away. Fired Michigan head coach Brady Hoke is a potential candidate to take over the reins.
