Veteran Assistant Mike Dietzel Joins Cardinals as Defensive Backs Coach

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Ball State has tabbed veteran Mid-American Conference assistant and former Western Kentucky and Kent State defensive coordinator Mike Dietzel to coach the Cardinals' secondary.

Dietzel has spent most of the past decade in the MAC with stops at Buffalo and, most recently, Central Michigan. His three seasons as the WKU defensive coordinator came during a seven-year run with current Ball State DC David Elson when Elson was guiding the Hilltopper program.

Dietzel has spent the majority of his 30-plus years in the coaching profession on the defensive side of the ball and special teams.

"Mike has been in the MAC West the past four years at Central Michigan, and they played some good defense," Ball State head coach Mike Neu said. "Obviously, he also has a good relationship with Coach Elson. We had an opportunity in the interview process to talk with several guys, but he stood out because of his comfort level with what we do defensively and knowing what it takes to play good defense in this league on a weekly basis."

Dietzel helped Central Michigan to bowl appearances in each of his first three seasons with the Chippewas. The Sharon, Pennsylvania, native moved from defensive backs to linebackers for the past two years when CMU registered a combined 63 sacks and 53 takeaways.

During his time in Mount Pleasant, Dietzel mentored three-time All-MAC linebacker Malik Fountain, who ranked second nationally in tackles last season, and All-MAC safety Kavon Frazier, a 2016 draft choice of the Dallas Cowboys.

Four times in the past seven seasons, Dietzel has been a part of units that ranked second in the MAC in total defense -- 2015 and 2018 at Central Michigan and 2012 and 2013 at Buffalo.

Dietzel coached the secondary and special teams at Buffalo from 2010-14, helping the Bulls to the 2013 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl after just the second winning season in school history. That team forced 29 turnovers to rank 14th nationally.

Before his stint with the Bulls, Dietzel coached from 2003-09 at WKU. He helped the Hilltoppers to a pair of FCS playoff appearances and then a 7-5 record in 2007 in the first year of the program's transition to the FBS level. He was named the 2003 Division I-AA National Special Teams Coach of the Year by Football Quarterly.

Deitzel joined the WKU staff after two years at Kent State. His resume also includes stops in the 1990's at Penn, Johns Hopkins and Army (twice) before spending the 2001 season coaching the XFL's No. 1 pass defense with the New York/New Jersey Hitmen.

Of note, Dietzel coached the Army JV team to an 11-1 record over two seasons and served as a gradate assistant for Michigan's 1989 Rose Bowl team.

Dietzel graduated from Otterbein University in 1985 with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education. He earned his master's in educational administration from Colorado in 1986. He held graduate assistant coaching positions at both Colorado and Michigan.

Ball State University Athletics

Veteran Assistant Mike Dietzel Joins Cardinals as Defensive Backs Coach

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