By Cord Rankin
12/9/2024
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.—Matt Drinkall has been named the 30th head football coach at Central Michigan University, Zyzelewski Family Vice President/Director of Athletics Amy Folan announced on Monday morning. A 21-year football coaching veteran, Drinkall has spent the last six years as an assistant coach, Offensive Line Coach and co-Offensive Coordinator on Jeff Monken’s staff at Army West Point.
Drinkall will be introduced to the campus community in a “Fired Up to be a Chippewa” event scheduled for Noon on Tuesday in the atrium of the John G. Kulhavi Events Center/McGuirk Arena. The event is open to the public and will be streamed live on www.cmuchippewas.com at this link.
Drinkall takes over at Central Michigan after helping lead Army West Point to an 11-1 overall record, No. 22 national ranking in the College Football Playoff poll and an American Athletic Conference championship in Army’s first year in the league with a 35-14 win over Tulane in Friday’s title game.
The Black Knights will play Navy on Dec. 14 and have accepted an invitation to the Independence Bowl on Dec. 28. On offense, Army led the nation in rushing (314.4), averaged 32.92 points per game, ranked No. 4 nationally in third down conversion percentage (50.3), averaged 397.6 total yards per game, and led the nation in time of possession (35:42). His current offensive line unit is a 2024 Joe Moore Award finalist, which honors the most outstanding offensive line unit in college football.
Drinkall replaces Jim McElwain, who announced his retirement on November 20, 2024, after six seasons at CMU’s head coach.
Drinkall’s Midwestern roots, coaching success, overall experience, and commitment to both athletics and academics make him a perfect fit for Central Michigan, Folan said.
“Matt has been successful everywhere he’s been,” Folan said. “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.”
“Matt Drinkall brings an impressive track record of leadership, innovation, and success to Central Michigan University,” CMU President Neil MacKinnon said. “His commitment to excellence both on and off the field aligns with our values and our vision for the future of CMU Football. We are excited to welcome Matt and his family to Mount Pleasant, and we look forward to seeing how his passion and experience will inspire our student-athletes and energize the CMU Chippewa community.”
Drinkall completed his sixth season in 2024 as a part of Monken’s coaching staff at Army West Point, where he has helped lead the Black Knights to three game bowl game appearances and an 81-56 overall record. He served as the offensive line coach (2023-24), co-offensive coordinator (2023), tight ends coach (2020-22) and quality control coach (2019).
He helped Army transition from a flexbone offense to a comprehensive power rushing attack. Drinkall played a role in the development and success of the offensive line that averaged 208.0 rushing yards per game, ranking No. 7 in the nation in 2023. Drinkall also led a successful passing game as quarterback Bryson Daily threw for 913 yards and seven touchdowns.
In 2022, Drinkall’s tight ends helped an offense that was dominant on the ground as Army finished second nationally with 38 rushing touchdowns and four times rushed for over 450-plus yards, Army’s most successful rushing performance since 2019. In 2021, Drinkall’s group played a key role in the run game helping the offense rank in the top 5 in several major rushing categories, including leading the nation in rushing TDs with 46. In 2020, Drinkall’s position group helped anchor an offense that led Army to a 9-3 record and Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for the third time in four seasons. In 2019, Drinkall joined the Black Knight coaching staff as offensive quality control, in which he worked with the quarterbacks.
“My wife Kim and I are deeply humbled and honored to join the Central Michigan University family,” Drinkall said. “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!”
Drinkall arrived at West Point after a successful five-year stint as the head coach at Kansas Wesleyan University from 2014-19, while also serving as the program’s Offensive Coordinator. Over the last four seasons of his tenure, Kansas Wesleyan put together the best four-year run in school history as he guided the Coyotes to a combined 42-17 record. His team produced two Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player award winners, two Offensive Players of the Year honorees, and a Defensive Player of the Year accolade. That four-season stretch produced 11 All-Americans and 64 All-conference selections.
In Drinkall’s final season as head coach in 2018, Kansas Wesleyan posted its best season in school and conference history, a 13-1 overall mark including a 10-1 league ledger and the school’s first league title since 2002. The Coyotes posted a 10-0 league record and advanced to the semifinals of the national playoffs. The Coyotes shattered school, KCAC, and NAIA records in the process during their historic season.
Utilizing a no-huddle, power-spread offense, the Drinkall-led offense set conference and school records for points per game (54.3) and yards per game (530.8). The 2018 offense was led by a quarterback who accounted for 3,739 yards and 47 touchdowns and a running back who rolled up 2,788 yards and 41 total touchdowns. Averaging over seven yards per play, the 2018 offense additionally set over 20 conference and school records for total points, total yards, points in a game (83), points in a half (69), and points in a quarter (49). Drinkall coached the nation’s leading rusher and scorer.
In 2018, the Coyotes swept the major conference awards, with running back Demarco Prewitt earning the Most Valuable Player Award, quarterback Johnny Feauto picking up the Offensive Player of the Year award, and defensive lineman Shaq Bradford taking the Defensive Player of the Year award. Drinkall and that trio led the Coyotes to a final national rank of No. 4 in the final polls, the best in program history.
From 2015-17, the Coyotes posted 27 wins including a 23-5 record in conference play. During that stretch, KWU reached the No. 10 spot in the top 25 Poll, matching the highest-ever ranking for the program. In 2015, Drinkall led the Coyotes to a 10-win season and their first NAIA Football Championship berth in 13 seasons. Kansas Wesleyan ranked fifth nationally in total offense and seventh in the nation in scoring. Quarterback Jack Curran, the KCAC Player of the Year, ranked third in NAIA in total offense and fourth in the nation in total offense.
In 2014, Drinkall accepted the head coaching position at Kansas Wesleyan and was tasked with rebuilding the program from top to bottom, including roster, facilities, and branding. Drinkall, who was the second-youngest head coach in college football at the time of his hiring, posted a 2-9 regular season record in his first season, but then quickly rebounded to go 10-1 in just his second season in 2015.
Drinkall served as offensive coordinator at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa from 2008-14. While at St. Ambrose under head coach Todd Sturdy, Drinkall directed the Fighting Bees’ offense that ranked fourth in the nation in scoring offense (44.2 points per game), total offense (505.9 yards per game), passing offense (326.3 yards per game) in 2013. Under Drinkall’s leadership, quarterback Eric Williamson was twice named the conference player of the year, setting several program records in the process. Drinkall was named the conference assistant coach of the year in 2012 in a conference that had produced national champions in the three seasons prior.
Before St. Ambrose, Drinkall spent two seasons at Western Illinois as the tight ends coach, under head coach Don Patterson. In his time with the Leathernecks, Drinkall developed the program into one of the top rushing offenses in the country.
Drinkall began his coaching career at his alma mater Bettendorf (Iowa) High School, where he coached defensive backs and wide receivers. Among his proteges at Bettendorf was linebacker Pat Angerer, who went on to play for the Indianapolis Colts. In 2004, Drinkall helped Bettendorf to a 13-0 finish and a state championship.
Drinkall played wide receiver at Iowa and then began his coaching career as a student coach with the Hawkeyes following a career-ending injury. In 2002, Iowa went undefeated in Big Ten play, finished 11-2, and appeared in the Orange Bowl and was ranked eighth nationally at the end of the season.
Drinkall and his wife Kim will relocate to Mount Pleasant, Mich.
THE MATT DRINKALL FILE
Birthdate: November 8, 1982
Hometown: Bettendorf, Iowa
Family: Wife Kim
Education
Bachelor’s degree, Kinesiology, Western Illinois University, 2005
Master’s degree, Recreation Administration, Western Illinois University, 2007
Coaching Career
Head Coach, Central Michigan University, 2024-current
Offensive Line Coach, Army West Point, 2024
Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach, Army West Point, 2023
Tight Ends Coach, Army West Point, 2020-23
Quality Control Coach, Army West Point, 2019
Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator, Kansas Wesleyan, 2014-19
Offensive Coordinator, St. Ambrose University (Iowa), 2012-14
Offensive Line Coach, St. Ambrose University (Iowa), 2010-12
Wide Receivers Coach, St. Ambrose University (Iowa), 2008-09
Tight Ends Coach, Western Illinois, 2006-08
Wide Receivers/Defensive Backs Coach, Bettendorf High School (Iowa), 2003-05
Coaching Accomplishments
2024 American Athletic Conference champions (Army) … 2018 AFCA/NCAA Top 35 Coaches Under 35 Honoree … 2018 KCAC champions (Kansas Wesleyan) … 2018 KCAC Coach of the Year (Kansas Wesleyan) … 2012 MSFCA Conference Assistant Coach of the Year (St. Ambrose).
Bowl Games Coached/Achieved
2024 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl … 2021 Armed Forces Bowl (Army) … 2020 AutoZone Liberty Bowl … 2002 Orange Bowl (Iowa).
THE FACTS ON DRINKALL
19 years of college coaching experience at three different levels
5 years as a head coach
3 bowl game appearances
81-56 record at Army
2024 AAC champions at Army
42-17 record as a head coach at Kansas Wesleyan
Midwestern born and bred
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