Central Michigan football has hired former Army offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Matt Drinkall as the Chippewa’s new head coach, the program announced on Monday.
Drinkall is replacing former coach Jim McElwain, who announced his retirement in late November to move into a new role as a special assistant to the athletic director. Drinkall spent six seasons as the co-offensive coordinator for Army and helped lead the Black Knights to an 11-1 record and the first conference championship in school history in 2024.
Drinkall, 42, is the 30th coach in CMU program history. He will be formally introduced on Mount Pleasant’s campus during a community event at the McGuirk Arena at noon on Tuesday.
“Matt has been successful everywhere he’s been,” Central Michigan athletic director Amy Folan said in a released statement. “He is very innovative, he’s been a student of the game, and has a passion for college football. He’s coming from an institution in Army West Point that puts a premium on leadership. He has had success as a head coach and has a reputation as a player’s coach. With Matt’s background and abilities, he is the perfect fit to lead us into the next chapter of Central Michigan Football.”
Drinkall spent five seasons as the head coach and offensive coordinator at NAIA-level Kansas Wesleyan from 2014-18. His teams had a combined 42-17 record over his final four seasons, including a 13-1 record in 2018 powered by an offense that averaged over 500 yards and 50 points per game.
Before getting his start as a head coach, he was the offensive coordinator at St. Ambrose University in Iowa and the tight ends coach for Western Illinois. He played collegiately as a receiver in Iowa until a career-ending injury pushed him to coaching in 2002.
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At Army, Drinkall oversaw some of the best rushing offenses in the country in recent years as the Black Knights ran an option-heavy scheme. He helped Army transform into a better passing team while maintaining its run-first identity, with the No. 7 rushing attack in 2023 and No. 1 in 2024, to create an offense averaging 32.9 points per game this season.
Drinkall’s unit, the offensive line, is up for the Joe Moore Award for top blocking unit nationally because of Army’s ability to run and control the clock, averaging the most time of possession of any team in the country.
“My wife Kim and I are deeply humbled and honored to join the Central Michigan University family,” Drinkall said in a released statement. “We are so excited to get back to our Midwest roots and to be a part of this passionate community. We cannot wait to build meaningful relationships and help contribute to the success of this storied program. We are also honored to follow in the footsteps of the McElwains, who have meant so much to college football. Fire Up Chips!”
McElwain retired from his position as an NCAA investigation into whether or not the Chippewas’ coach knew about former Michigan assistant Connor Stalions’ presence on the CMU sidelines during the 2023 season opener against Michigan State. According to a report from CBS, the NCAA is trying to determine “if McElwain had a role in allowing Stalions on the sideline of the Chippewas’ season opener against Michigan State.”
McElwain went 33-36 in six seasons at Central Michigan, including a 4-8 finale in 2024. He finished with one bowl win in two trips in the 2021 Sun Bowl.
Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22, and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Former Army OC Matt Drinkall announced as new Central Michigan coach
