Marshall University Athletics
Cummings Joins Marshall Football Coaching Staff
2/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Cummings Joins Marshall Football Coaching Staff
2/9/2005
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. ? Marshall University Head Football Coach Bob Pruett announced the hiring of Mike Cummings as the Thundering Herd?s new offensive line coach Wednesday.
?We are excited to have Mike join our staff,? Pruett said. ?He is an outstanding recruiter and an excellent football coach. We have played against him for the last couple of years and his lines have always done an outstanding job against us. We are very fortunate to have him.?
Cummings, 43, comes to Marshall after serving as Western Michigan University?s offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator for the past three seasons. He replaces Mark McHale, who took the offensive line coaching position at Florida State University last week.
?I am ecstatic about joining the Marshall football staff and family,? Cummings said. ?Marshall is a prestigious program and it is an honor to have the opportunity to work under coach Pruett and be a part of his outstanding staff . I am looking forward to a very successful season in 2005.?
During his three seasons at WMU, Cummings brought stability to the Bronco offensive line, helping the Broncos rank 8th nationally in passing offense in 2003 and set three offensive records for passing yards in individual games and touchdown passes thrown. He also coached two All Mid-American Conference All-Academic players during his tenure, and a Freshman All-American at center in 2004. As Western Michigan?s recruiting coordinator, Cummings helped build a 2004 recruiting class that was ranked first in the MAC by Phil Steele?s College Football Preview and second-best by Street & Smith?s.
Cummings, a coaching veteran of 20 years, served on football staffs at Eastern Michigan, Michigan State, Central Michigan, Millersville, and at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute prior to his stint at Western Michigan. During his collegiate coaching career, he coached 19 all-conference players, 11 academic all-conference players, two All-Americans, and two freshman All-Americans.
At EMU, he served as defensive line coach, special teams coach, and recruiting coordinator for the 2000 and 2001 seasons. During his time in Ypsilanti, he coached three all-conference selections and four all-conference academic team selections.
Prior to EMU, Cummings spent a season as offensive line coach at Central Michigan. That assignment was his third stint with the Chippewa program. He coached the offensive line at CMU from 1992-1997 and was a graduate assistant at CMU from 1988-1990. Cummings tutored seven all-conference selections during his time at CMU.
Cummings served as the tight ends and special teams coach at Michigan State during the 1998 season, a year in which the Spartans recorded wins over Notre Dame and Ohio State. He also coached offensive lines at Millersville during the 1990 and 1991 seasons, and at RPI in 1987.
Cummings, a native of Jamestown, N.Y., earned three varsity letters in football at the University at Buffalo, graduating with a bachelor?s degree in physical education and exercise science in 1984. He earned a master?s degree in athletics administration from Central Michigan in 1990. He and his wife Donna have two daughters, Elizabeth (13) and Emily (10).
