Central Michigan hires assistants Greg Colby, Mike Dietzel

Central Michigan is hiring former Illinois defensive line coach Greg Colby as defensive coordinator and former Buffalo assistant Mike Dietzel to coach safeties

Central Michigan is hiring former Illinois defensive line coach Greg Colby as defensive coordinator and former Buffalo assistant Mike Dietzel to coach safeties and special teams, according to a source.

The two are the first additions to the staff of new Chippewas coach John Bonamego, who was hired earlier this month. Colby had spent the past two seasons with the Fighting Illini, while Dietzel had been at Buffalo for five seasons.

Colby, 62, was previously defensive coordinator at Northwestern from 2002-07 and Kent State from 1998 through 2001. He replaces former Central Michigan defensive coordinator Joe Tumpkin, who left to coach safeties at Colorado.

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Colby was the head coach at Millersville University from 2008-12. He was also a defensive assistant at Michigan State (1995-97) and Illinois (1988-95).

He was also head coach at Naperville (Illinois) High School (1982-86) and Schlarman High School in Danville, Illinois (1979-82). He got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Illinois, in 1974, was a baseball assistant at the school from 1978-80 and later was a graduate assistant at Michigan State (1986-88).

Colby played football for the Fighting Illini from 1970-73.

Dietzel, 52, was also co-special teams coordinator at Buffalo. He replaces special teams coordinator and linebackers coach Kyle Nystrom, who had been Central Michigan’s interim coach after former Chippewas coach Dan Enos left in January to become the offensive coordinator at Arkansas.

Prior to Dietzel’s arrival at Buffalo in 2010, he was an assistant at Western Kentucky for seven seasons. He was the Hilltoppers’ outside linebackers coach and special teams coach from 2003-08 before being promoted to defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach his final season.

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​Dietzel was defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Kent State from 2001-02. He coached running backs at Army from 1995-99 and was the program’s junior varsity coach from 1992-93.

He was defensive coordinator and secondary coach at John Hopkins in 1994. He coached inside linebackers at Penn in 1988 and 1991.

Dietzel was outside linebackers coach at Michigan from 1989-90, defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Earlham College in 1987 and an assistant at Colorado from 1985-86.

A Central Michigan alumnus, Bonamego had been a longtime NFL special teams coordinator, most recently the past two seasons with the Detroit Lions. He still needs to hire an offensive line coach to complete his coaching staff.

Bonamego’s predecessor, Enos, had a 26-36 record in five seasons with two bowl appearances. The Chippewas had a 7-6 record last season and return a dozen starters.