MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.—New Central Michigan Head Football Coach Matt Drinkall has officially announced the hiring of Brandon Blaney as the Chippewas’ Senior Offensive Analyst and Mark DeBastiani as the program’s Senior Defensive Analyst. Both were retained from Central Michigan’s previous staff.
Central Michigan will continue to announce additional coaching staff and support staff members in the coming days.
With over 29 years of football coaching experience, Blaney begins his second year on the Central Michigan coaching staff and first as Senior Offensive Analyst. Blaney worked the 2024 season as CMU’s Offensive Quality Control staff member. A two-time national champion with extensive collegiate and NFL experience, Blaney has enjoyed success at every one of his coaching stops. He joined the Central Michigan football program prior to the 2024 season after serving four years as the Co-Run Game Coordinator and Tight Ends Coach at Eastern Michigan (2020-23). He has worked at Michigan as a Senior Offensive Analyst/Offensive Line Coach (2018-20), Offensive Line Coach at Iowa State (2014-15), Recruiting Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach/Assistant Offensive Line Coach at Kansas (2002-09), along with stints at Ohio State, Oklahoma, and his alma mater Youngstown State. Blaney has also served a combined five years on NFL coaching stints with the Tennessee Titans (2016-17) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2011-13). A Lamar, Mo. native, Blaney has helped programs at Oklahoma (2000) and Youngstown State (1997) win national championships. Read more about Blaney at this link.
“Coach Blaney is a man I’ve known for over 20 years, going back to when I was coaching high school football, and he was already making a name for himself in the Big 12,” Drinkall said. “We’ve stayed in close touch ever since, even crossing paths on the recruiting trail in the Midwest. Coach Blaney’s résumé speaks for itself—29 years of coaching at the highest levels, from the NFL to top-tier college programs like Oklahoma, Michigan, and Kansas. He’s coached in the NFL, coached on national championship teams, helped turn programs around, and developed NFL talent along the way. He has intense ties to the Midwest, especially the states of Michigan and Ohio. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience and is an invaluable asset to our players and staff. He has worked with some of the most successful and transformational head coaches that our game has ever seen. Coach Blaney is a true professional and he’s not just a great coach; he’s a great person, and we’re fortunate to have him as part of our program.”
DeBastiani begins his fourth total year on the Central Michigan coaching staff and third season of his second stint with the Chippewas. Boasting more than 30 years of versatile and high-level defensive coaching experience, DeBastiani worked extensively with the Chippewas’ linebackers last season. DeBastiani has spent a combined three years at Central Michigan, including the 2023 and 2024 seasons and 2019 season, as Linebackers Coach, DeBastiani helped guide the Chippewas to the second-largest turnaround in college football with a seven-win improvement. His two longest coaching stints were as the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Norfolk State (2005-14) and as defensive line coach/video coordinator at Bethune-Cookman (1997-04). He has also worked on defensive staffs at Appalachian State (2021-22 and 1995-96), Alabama A&M (2018), Florida (2015-17), and his alma mater Shepherd College (W.Va.) (1993-94). An Arthurdale, W.Va. native, DeBastiani has guided numerous defensive units to national accolades. Read more about DeBastiani at this link.
“I am honored to welcome Coach DeBastiani back to Central Michigan,” Drinkall said. “This is a great man with over 30 years of coaching experience and his resume speaks for itself—coordinator experience, position flexibility, and a dynamic skill set as a recruiter. Coach DeBastiani will work across all defensive positions while playing a critical role in our recruiting and personnel efforts. His track record of developing elite defenses and elite players at each position group is absolutely remarkable. I received countless phone calls when I first got hired from other coaches explaining how great Coach DeBastiani was and it is easy to see why they all felt that way. He’s an invaluable resource for our staff and an outstanding mentor for our players.”
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Central Michigan will continue to announce additional coaching staff and support staff members in the coming days.
With over 29 years of football coaching experience, Blaney begins his second year on the Central Michigan coaching staff and first as Senior Offensive Analyst. Blaney worked the 2024 season as CMU’s Offensive Quality Control staff member. A two-time national champion with extensive collegiate and NFL experience, Blaney has enjoyed success at every one of his coaching stops. He joined the Central Michigan football program prior to the 2024 season after serving four years as the Co-Run Game Coordinator and Tight Ends Coach at Eastern Michigan (2020-23). He has worked at Michigan as a Senior Offensive Analyst/Offensive Line Coach (2018-20), Offensive Line Coach at Iowa State (2014-15), Recruiting Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach/Assistant Offensive Line Coach at Kansas (2002-09), along with stints at Ohio State, Oklahoma, and his alma mater Youngstown State. Blaney has also served a combined five years on NFL coaching stints with the Tennessee Titans (2016-17) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2011-13). A Lamar, Mo. native, Blaney has helped programs at Oklahoma (2000) and Youngstown State (1997) win national championships. Read more about Blaney at this link.
“Coach Blaney is a man I’ve known for over 20 years, going back to when I was coaching high school football, and he was already making a name for himself in the Big 12,” Drinkall said. “We’ve stayed in close touch ever since, even crossing paths on the recruiting trail in the Midwest. Coach Blaney’s résumé speaks for itself—29 years of coaching at the highest levels, from the NFL to top-tier college programs like Oklahoma, Michigan, and Kansas. He’s coached in the NFL, coached on national championship teams, helped turn programs around, and developed NFL talent along the way. He has intense ties to the Midwest, especially the states of Michigan and Ohio. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience and is an invaluable asset to our players and staff. He has worked with some of the most successful and transformational head coaches that our game has ever seen. Coach Blaney is a true professional and he’s not just a great coach; he’s a great person, and we’re fortunate to have him as part of our program.”
DeBastiani begins his fourth total year on the Central Michigan coaching staff and third season of his second stint with the Chippewas. Boasting more than 30 years of versatile and high-level defensive coaching experience, DeBastiani worked extensively with the Chippewas’ linebackers last season. DeBastiani has spent a combined three years at Central Michigan, including the 2023 and 2024 seasons and 2019 season, as Linebackers Coach, DeBastiani helped guide the Chippewas to the second-largest turnaround in college football with a seven-win improvement. His two longest coaching stints were as the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Norfolk State (2005-14) and as defensive line coach/video coordinator at Bethune-Cookman (1997-04). He has also worked on defensive staffs at Appalachian State (2021-22 and 1995-96), Alabama A&M (2018), Florida (2015-17), and his alma mater Shepherd College (W.Va.) (1993-94). An Arthurdale, W.Va. native, DeBastiani has guided numerous defensive units to national accolades. Read more about DeBastiani at this link.
“I am honored to welcome Coach DeBastiani back to Central Michigan,” Drinkall said. “This is a great man with over 30 years of coaching experience and his resume speaks for itself—coordinator experience, position flexibility, and a dynamic skill set as a recruiter. Coach DeBastiani will work across all defensive positions while playing a critical role in our recruiting and personnel efforts. His track record of developing elite defenses and elite players at each position group is absolutely remarkable. I received countless phone calls when I first got hired from other coaches explaining how great Coach DeBastiani was and it is easy to see why they all felt that way. He’s an invaluable resource for our staff and an outstanding mentor for our players.”
Follow Central Michigan Football: TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
—CMU—
This content is reposted from the source: https://cmuchippewas.com/news/2025/3/21/central-michigan-football-hires-two-football-coaching-staff-members
