Ball State football announced Saturday morning that head coach Mike Neu has been fired with two games remaining in his ninth season with a 3-7 record.
The 2024 campaign was Neu’s fourth straight losing season and third consecutive finish without bowl eligibility. Offensive line coach Colin Johnson will serve as interim head coach and like Neu, is a Ball State football alum.
Neu’s contract was originally set to expire after the 2025 season, meaning Ball State Athletics had to buy out the final year of his deal for a reported $550,000. In an email, Ball State Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell said the program will begin the coaching search immediately.
Neu finishes as the third-longest tenured head coach in program history, coaching 105 total games after taking over for current Buffalo head coach Pete Lembo prior to the 2016 season. His 40 wins are tied for the fourth-most by a Ball State head coach.
Neu’s greatest accomplishment as the Cardinals’ head coach was a Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship campaign in 2020. Ball State finished with a 7-1 record in 2020, after a shortened season due to COVID-19.
The Cardinals not only won the conference crown against Buffalo, but they also defeated No. 19 ranked San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl to win the first and only bowl game in program history. Ball State finished 23rd in the final Associated Press (AP) poll of the 2020 season.
In Neu’s eight other seasons as head coach, he led Ball State to a 30-55 record. His overall MAC record was 23-39. The Cardinals’ only other bowl appearance during Neu’s tenure came in 2021 when Ball State made the Camellia Bowl against Georgia State, a 51-20 loss.
Of the 40 Ball State football players to make the NFL, six were coached by Neu. The former Ball State quarterback won two MAC titles for the Cardinals as a player, including a 1993 season that saw Neu win the MAC Offensive Player of the Year award. He was inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004.
Potential replacements
With Neu out of the driver’s seat, Ball State will have to pick its next head coach. Here are five likely candidates.
Tyler Stockton: Boise State co-defensive coordinator
Stockton was a staple at Ball State from 2019-2023. His defenses consistently ranked at the top of the MAC, and he also coached many All-MAC athletes.
Stockton worked to become the Ball State assistant head coach in 2022 and was in the role for 2023 as well. After the 2023 season, Stockton left Muncie for Boise State.
The Broncos are nationally ranked (No.13) and are currently projected to just miss the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff. Stockton is very familiar with what it takes to coach and recruit at Ball State, making him an easy candidate to take the reigns.
Jared Elliot: Ball State offensive coordinator
Elliot joined the Ball State staff in 2022 and has since risen to become the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach. The 2023 Cardinals averaged 18.3 points per game, but the 2024 offense led by Elliot is averaging 27 points per outing.
Elliot has also been praised by Neu and players for his work ethic and leadership abilities on and off the field.
“He is the best tight end coach in the country, I could say that every day,” junior tight end Tanner Koziol said during the 2024 fall camp. “He knows ball, he knows how to instill the love for the game in players and he does such a good job.”
Elliot’s improved offense, leadership qualities and knowing the ins and outs of Ball State football’s current situation gives the offensive coordinator a chance to become the next head coach. In terms of outside experience, Elliott was Western Illinois’ head coach from 2018-2021.
Jason Eck: Idaho head coach
Eck is in his third year of coaching the Idaho Vandals. The FCS program has seen nothing but success under Eck. In 2022, he led Idaho to a 7-5 winning record.
His 2023 campaign saw the Vandals go 9-4 with a loss in the second round of the FCS Playoff to No. 5 UAlbany. Eck has also put together top 10 recruiting classes for FCS in 2023 and 2024.
Although Eck has not been at the FBS level in a while, he also has experience at the very competitive South Dakota State University. Eck is also familiar with Ball State and served as the Cardinals offensive line coach from 2009-10.
Eck’s impressive track record and Ball State tie make him a key candidate for the head coach role.
Bryant Haines: Indiana University defensive coordinator
Haines has been the defensive mastermind for head coach Curt Cignetti’s teams for the past six years. He spent five years with Cignetti at James Madison University and followed him to Indiana.
From 2019-2023, the Dukes defense ranked in the top 10 total defenses. Haines is also a Ball State football alum, suiting up for the Cardinals from 2004-08. He led Ball State in tackles in two seasons and was also on the 12-0 2008 team.
Although Haines has never been a head coach, his coaching resume stands up to the best of them, making him a high target for Ball State.
Mike Denbrock: Notre Dame offensive coordinator
Denbrock is a 35-plus-year coaching veteran with every tool possible under his belt. The offensive talent has been back in South Bend for one season but was formerly at Louisiana State University (LSU).
Denbrock coached the 2023 Heisman winner, Jayden Daniels, who led the nation in total offense. Since 2018, teams with Denbrock leading the offense have a 63-13 record.
Denbrock would most likely come with a high price tag, and it is unlikely the tenured coach would suddenly make the move to becoming a head coach.
But nothing is out of the question. Denbrock is a 35-plus-year coaching veteran with every tool possible under his belt. The offensive talent has been back in South Bend for one season but was formerly at Louisiana State University (LSU).
Denbrock coached the 2023 Heisman winner, Jayden Daniels, who led the nation in total offense. Since 2018, teams with Denbrock leading the offense have a 63-13 record.
Denbrock would most likely come with a high price tag, and it is unlikely the tenured coach would suddenly make the move to becoming a head coach. But nothing is out of the question.
Contact Kyle Smedley via email at kmsmedley213@gmail.com or via X @KyleSmedley_. Contact Elijah Poe via email at elijah.poe@bsu.edu or on X @ElijahPoe4.
