CMU Football Head Coach Dan Enos Leaves For Arkansas [Video]

Central Michigan University head football coach Dan Enos announced this morning he will accept the position of Offensive Coordinator at the University of Arkansas. The position will pay an estimated $650,000 annually. He was making about $350,000 at CMU.

So with a big opening like that, and a short time to fill it, is a local West Michigan college coach the best replacement?

CMU Athletics has confirmed that head coach (and former Michigan State quarterback) Dan Enos is leaving the school for the OC job for former Wisconsin coach Brett Bielma at SEC emerging power Arkansas. The Razorbacks were one of the SEC's hottest teams down the stretch, winning three of their last four, shutting out SEC West powers Mississippi and LSU in that span.

So the speculation begins as to Enos' successor for the Chippewas, who were 7-6 last season, earning a bid to the inaugural Bahamas Bowl. CMU pulled current Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly from Grand Valley State of the Division II Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Association (GLIAC) back in 2003 for one of their more successful hires in recent years, so will the Chips look in that direction again?

Leading GLIAC coaches include Tony Annese at Ferris State, who has turned that program around in just three seasons, and Ohio Dominican's Bill Conley, both of whom are a bit older. Annese's nephew, also named Tony, is currently a starting defensive back for Central.

GVSU's Matt Mitchell may be more of what CMU's current athletic administration has been looking for in a head coach, a younger up-and-comer looking for a stepping stone to a Power Five conference job. Since Kelly, all of CMU's coaches have advanced to a power five conference job. (The Power Five conferences are the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, ACC, and SEC).

There is also some speculation that the current CMU administration was enamored with the staff of former Chippewa head coach and current Tennessee coach Butch Jones, and that someone on his UT staff could be in line for the opening.

Enos was 26-36 in his five seasons with the Chippewas. His team's best finish in the standings was third in the MAC West Division in 2013. Enos replaces Jim Chaney, who left Arkansas to become the coordinator for Pat Narduzzi at Pittsburgh. Enos has extensive experience on the offensive side of the ball, including serving as the offensive coordinator at North Dakota State (2003), the quarterbacks coach at Cincinnati (’04-05) and Michigan State (’06) and the running backs coach at Michigan State (’07-09).

If you missed it, Enos was at the helm for one of the craziest plays ever to end of Bowl game at the Bahamas Bowl.