Michigan
Central Michigan coaching job profile: Pluses, minuses and candidates to replace Jim McElwain
The Central Michigan job is open. Head coach Jim McElwain announced he will retire at the end of the season, coming off a win against rival Western Michigan last week.
McElwain is 33-35 in six seasons leading the Chippewas. They reached the MAC championship game in his first season in 2019 and posted a 9-4 season in 2021 capped by a Sun Bowl win against Washington State, but CMU is in the midst of a third consecutive losing season.
So how good is the Central Michigan job? What names could get in the mix? Based on conversations with industry sources, here is a report card for the job and the potential candidates to watch.
Recent history/tradition: C+
CMU has historically been one of the better teams in the MAC, winning the conference three times from 2006 to ’09 and reaching 11 bowls in 16 years from 2006 to ’21. Brian Kelly and Butch Jones both parlayed successful runs with the Chips into the Cincinnati job. But there have been just two winning seasons in the last seven years. McElwain found some success but never consistency.
On-field outlook: D+
The roster is in desperate need of playmakers. CMU doesn’t have a top-15 passer or receiver in the MAC, and leading rusher Marion Lukes is a senior. The defense has some bright spots in junior linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski and defensive lineman Jason Williams. For what it’s worth, CMU ranks seventh in the conference per 247Sports’ Team Talent Composite ratings, which are based on high school recruiting rankings.
Money matters: C
McElwain’s $1 million salary was near the top of the MAC but may not be enough to hire a Power 4 coordinator. CMU was fourth in the MAC in football spending in 2022, according to Sportico’s most recent numbers. The $22 million Chippewa Champions Center, an end zone facility with new meeting rooms, locker rooms, a weight room and more, opened in 2020. CMU also has an indoor practice field, making this altogether one of the better setups in the MAC.
University stability: C+
The school just got a new president in Neil MacKinnon, and athletic director Amy Folan has been there since 2020 after nearly two decades at Texas. School support for football has generally been strong. But the school is also dealing with its potential role in the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal at Michigan. The NCAA investigation is ongoing, but ESPN confirmed the NCAA believes Stalions was on the CMU sideline for a game against Michigan State in 2023. McElwain has said he knew nothing about it, but CMU quarterbacks coach Jake Kostner, who is close with Stalions, resigned earlier this season. It’s unclear what potential penalties CMU could face and how McElwain’s retirement could impact that.
Coach pool: C-
Notre Dame quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli coached at CMU from 2010 to ’16. The former Cincinnati offensive coordinator is expected to get Power 4 offensive coordinator looks in this cycle and has done a good job with Riley Leonard at Notre Dame this season.
Kansas co-offensive coordinator Jim Zebrowski spent 2017 to 2020 in the MAC at Buffalo, and he has developed quarterbacks like Tyree Jackson, Jason Bean and Jalon Daniels. Zebrowski has head coaching experience at Division III Lakeland, going 28-12 in four seasons and reaching the playoffs for the first time in program history.
Illinois defensive backs coach Corey Parker is a Detroit native who previously coached at Toledo and played at Eastern Michigan. He helped develop cornerback Quinyon Mitchell into a two-time All-American and first-round NFL Draft pick. He was a Michigan high school coach from 2006 to ’21 and was a regional director in the Michigan High School Coaches Association. This year, he has played a big role in Illinois’ 8-3 start.
Ole Miss wide receivers coach George McDonald is an Indiana native and has MAC experience at Northern Illinois and Western Michigan, where he coached Greg Jennings. McDonald spent the previous three years at Illinois and works with an Ole Miss offense that sits fourth nationally in scoring.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni is a CMU alum who coached with the Chips from 2007 to ’09. He recruited Antonio Brown and Eric Fisher to the school during a dominant period under Jones. He has also coached at Florida, Tennessee and Wisconsin and has been in the NFL since 2017. His receivers have played a big role in the Steelers’ 8-3 start this season.
Houston offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay was a CMU assistant from 2019 to ’21, including as offensive coordinator during the nine-win 2021 season. He has since been the offensive coordinator at Appalachian State, Mississippi State and Houston.
Wisconsin outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell was the head coach at Division II Grand Valley State in Michigan from 2010 to ’22, with four top-five finishes. He has spent the last two years in Madison.
Butler head coach Mike Uremovich is 18-8 in three seasons at the Indiana FCS program, including 9-2 this year. He previously coached at Northern Illinois for seven seasons over three stints, so he has MAC experience. The Indiana native has spent almost his entire career in the Midwest.
Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito has coached in the state since 2010, including seven years as a Western Michigan assistant. Despite the Wolverines’ struggles this year, Esposito’s defensive line has been a strong point, ranking 21st in yards per carry allowed. Esposito has also coached at Division II Ferris State, and he went 6-5 as NAIA Davenport’s head coach in 2016.
Iowa special teams coordinator LeVar Woods has done a good job with the Hawkeyes, where he played and has spent his entire coaching career, a member of Kirk Ferentz’s staff since 2008. Punter Tory Taylor was one of the best in NCAA history, and people around Iowa believe Woods could be ready to take on a bigger job.
Stony Brook head coach Billy Cosh inherited an 0-10 program this year and has the Seawolves at 8-4 and ranked in the FCS top 25. Cosh was previously the offensive coordinator at Western Michigan and Richmond.
Minnesota co-offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh (no relation to Jim) is a Western Michigan alum and former coach there. He’s been with the Gophers since 2022 and was promoted to co-OC the next year, and the Gophers are going to a third consecutive bowl game.
Overall grade: C
The expectations are rightfully high in Mt. Pleasant. The facility setup and pay is pretty good relative to the MAC, too. But the roster needs an overhaul, and the big success of the somewhat recent past is getting further away.
(Photo: Rey Del Rio / Getty Images)
Porter Martone becomes first teenager to score game-winning goals in his first two NHL playoff games.
Porter Martone becomes first teenager to score game-winning goals in his first two NHL playoff games.
Three Michigan State recruits will represent Team USA at the world U18 hockey championships in Bratislava and Trencin, Slovakia.
The U.S. opens against Czechia on Wednesday (10 a.m., The Hockey Network).
The future Spartans are: defenseman Nick Bogas (Royal Oak), defenseman Tyler Martyniuk (Washington Township) and forward Brooks Rogowski (Brighton).
Other local commits include: defenseman Abe Barnett (University of Michigan) and goalie Luke Carrithers (Western Michigan).
Team USA’s head coach is Nick Fohr (Dexter) with Kevin Porter (Northville) and Dan Darrow (Livonia) among the assistant coaches.
The tournament features 10 countries with the final scheduled for May 2.
Bruins tie series with Sabres
The visiting Boston Bruins scored three second-period goals and held off a late Buffalo Sabres rally to post a 4-2 win on Tuesday and even their Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff series at one victory apiece.
Viktor Arvidsson scored in the last two periods, giving the Bruins 1-0 and 4-0 leads. Morgan Geekie and Pavel Zacha also lit the lamp for Boston, which heads home for Game 3 of the best-of-seven series on Thursday.
Jonathan Aspirot, Casey Mittelstadt and David Pastrnak each dished out two assists for the Bruins, and Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves.
Bowen Byram and Peyton Krebs scored as Buffalo climbed within 4-2 in the closing minutes.
Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed four goals on 19 shots before Alex Lyon entered in relief following Arvidsson’s second marker, which came just 16 seconds into the third period.
Buffalo had a 36-26 shot advantage, including 20-8 in the third period, but its power play went 0-for-5. Boston finished 1-for-6 on the man advantage.
The physical contest featured 47 penalty minutes for each team.
Following a scoreless opening period, the Bruins took over in the second, scoring on three of their 11 shots against Luukkonen.
Arvidsson broke the deadlock 4:54 into the middle frame, taking Aspirot’s lob pass in ahead of the defense and beating Luukkonen five-hole with a backhander from the left circle.
A gaffe by Luukkonen helped Boston double its lead with 3:31 left in the period, as Geekie’s high backhanded dump from the far side of center ice eluded him over the glove.
The Bruins’ power play got in on the action 1:41 later. After Geekie’s one- handed keep-in at the blue line extended the play, Zacha tipped in Pastrnak’s shot from the top of the right circle while stationed in the bumper position.
Arvidsson made it 4-0 early in the third, prompting Sabres coach Lindy Ruff to change goaltenders. Aspirot banked a long feed off the boards to set up the play, leading Arvidsson down the left wing to score on a 2-on-1 rush with Zacha.
The Sabres struck twice in a 1:14 span to make things interesting. Byram accepted Beck Malenstyn’s back pass for a wrister from the top of the right circle to break Swayman’s shutout bid with 6:06 left.
Krebs soon made it 4-2, batting down and scoring the rebound of a Rasmus Dahlin point shot that caromed off the post and back into the crease.
Detroit Red Wings received six A’s in The Detroit News’ final grades for the 2025-2026 season.
Grades and key takeaways for Finnie, Gibson, Seider, Larkin, Raymond and DeBrincat after the Wings’ late collapse.
Michigan mother of three talks about how she broke her kratom addiction
Melanie Clark, 35, of Kincheloe in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, has fought a four-year-long addiction to kratom, the so-called “gas station heroin.”
Michigan lawmakers are debating a complete ban on the sale of kratom products in the state, citing cases of addiction and instances of death from people consuming the herbal supplement known as the “gas station heroin.”
Here is what to know about this unregulated herbal substance commonly sold in convenience stores, gas stations and tobacco shops across Michigan:
What is kratom?
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia whose leaves contain compounds that can produce stimulant effects at low doses and opioid-like effects at higher doses. It is manufactured and sold in different forms: liquid tonics, tablets, gummies, powders and capsules.
What is kratom used for?
Kratom is marketed as a herbal supplement for energy, mood, pain relief or opioid withdrawal, though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved any of those uses. Some kratom users take it to get off heroin or fentanyl, according to University of Michigan researchers.
How is kratom pronounced?
Kratom is pronounced KRA-tum. The letter “a” takes a short “a” sound, as in crab or crack.
What is 7-OH?
7-hydroxymitragynin, or 7-OH, is an alkaloid found in kratom leaves. It is manufactured in a synthetic form to produce an opioid-like sensation of pain relief or sedation. It is more potent than pure leaf kratom and sometimes referred to as the hard liquor version of kratom (if pure leaf kratom were considered beer, which typically has a much lower percentage of alcohol by volume compared with distilled liquor).
Is kratom an opioid or addictive?
Kratom users, substance abuse counselors and doctors report symptoms of dependence and withdrawal from the substance, particularly when users exceed the recommended serving size.
The Drug Enforcement Agency has warned that kratom has “sedative effects” that “can lead to addiction.”
On July 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration moved to declare certain 7-hydroxymitragynine synthetic kratom products a Schedule I controlled substance, the same class of drugs as heroin, ecstasy and peyote. As of April 9, the substance had not yet been formally added to the list of Schedule I drugs, which would effectively ban 7-OH nationwide.
Does kratom have side effects?
The FDA has warned that kratom use can lead to liver toxicity, seizures or substance use disorder.
Withdrawal from the substance can lead to increased anxiety, insomnia and psychiatric episodes, according to University of Michigan researchers.
Dr. Eliza Hutchinson, a family physician based in Ann Arbor who is a clinical instructor at UM, said her substance abuse patients describe withdrawal from kratom as “the worst influenza of your life — times 10.”
CARE Southeastern Michigan, a recovery advocacy group, has reported some individuals experiencing psychotic episodes after taking 7-OH, the synthetic form of kratom.
The FDA has also said kratom is “not appropriate for use as a dietary supplement” and unsafe as an additive to food. The powder and liquid forms of kratom are sometimes marketed as an additive to shakes and smoothies.
Does kratom show up on a drug test?
Yes, if it’s part of a specialized screening of narcotics and other substances that looks for active ingredients in kratom products.
Some substance abuse clinics in Michigan are starting to test for it, said Madison Lauder, a counselor at The Guidance Center in Southgate.
“We see you so often, we have added into our (drug test) panel,” Lauder said.
Is there any age restriction on buying kratom in Michigan?
No, Michigan has no laws governing the sale of kratom and related synthetics, such as 7-OH.
But retailers set their own rules. Some stores won’t sell to anyone under age 21.
Some of the 7-OH kratom products on the shelves of stores are labeled “21+.”
But there’s no law on the books in Michigan requiring buyers to show a photo ID when buying kratom, as is required to purchase alcohol, tobacco or marijuana.
Which states have bans on selling kratom?
Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin have outright bans on the sale of kratom.
In December, Ohio’s Board of Pharmacy used the state’s controlled substance laws to ban the retail sale, distribution and possession of 7-OH and other synthetic forms of kratom, board spokesman Cameron McNamee said.
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy has a separate proposal to ban natural kratom products that remains in the rulemaking process, McNamee said.
Some cities and counties across the country have imposed varying local sales bans, including Anaheim, Calif., Spokane, Wash., and the New York City suburbs of Nassau County on Long Island, according to published reports.
What’s the status of legislation to ban kratom in Michigan?
On March 18, the Republican-controlled Michigan House voted 56-48 on legislation that would completely ban the sale of kratom products in Michigan. All 46 Democrats and two Republicans opposed the legislation.
Democrats cited a lack of any committee hearings on the legislation.
“There is no question of the growing concern around this product, and no one is saying, with this vote or otherwise, that the concern isn’t justified,” the House Democratic caucus said in a statement. “What we are saying is an outright ban, without any testimony or dialogue, is not the solution.”
The bill moved to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, assigned it to her Government Operations Committee.
Some kratom industry interests and individual users have advocated for a ban on just the 7-OH synthetic form of kratom.
Sen. Kevin Hertel, the St. Clair Shores Democrat who chairs the Senate Health Policy Committee, said the House’s passage of a total ban on kratom has changed the debate toward prohibition, which he favors until the FDA can further study the substance and its impact on the human body.
clivengood@detroitnews.com
Staff Writers Anne Snabes and Beth LeBlanc contributed.
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