The 2011 Mid-American Conference football season is the 66th season for the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The season began on Thursday, September 1, with four games: Bowling Green played at Idaho, Central Michigan hosted South Carolina State, Temple hosted #14 (FCS) Villanova, and Toledo hosted #10 (FCS) New Hampshire. The conference's other nine teams began their respective 2011 seasons of NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) competition on Saturday, September 3. The first in-conference game was September 10, with Temple hosting Akron.

Preseason

Preseason poll The 2011 MAC Preseason poll results were announced at the Football Media Preview in Detroit on July 26. In the East Division, Miami was picked as champion, while Toledo was picked to win the West Division and the MAC Championship Game.

East Division Miami - 97 points; 4 first-place votes Ohio - 96 points; 8 first-place votes Temple - 88 points; 4 first-place votes Kent State - 57 points Bowling Green - 48 points Buffalo - 37 points Akron - 25 points

West Division Toledo - 83 points; 8 first-place votes NIU - 81 points; 5 first-place votes Western Michigan - 76 points; 2 first-place votes Central Michigan - 55 points; 1 first-place vote Ball State - 27 points Eastern Michigan - 24 points

MAC Championship Three votes were not cast for any team.

Toledo - 5 votes NIU - 3 votes Miami - 3 votes Ohio - 1 vote Western Michigan - 1 vote

Head coaches

East Division Rob Ianello, Akron (2nd Year) Dave Clawson, Bowling Green (3rd Year) Jeff Quinn, Buffalo (2nd Year) Darrell Hazell, Kent State (1st Year) Don Treadwell, Miami (1st Year) Frank Solich, Ohio (7th Year) Steve Addazio, Temple (1st Year)

West Division Pete Lembo, Ball State (1st Year) Dan Enos, Central Michigan (2nd Year) Ron English, Eastern Michigan (3rd Year) Dave Doeren, NIU (1st Year) Tim Beckman, Toledo (3rd Year) Bill Cubit Western Michigan (7th Year)

Pre-season coaching changes

On November 21, the day after Kent State's seventh loss of the season assured them of a losing record, Doug Martin announced that he would resign at the end of the season. On December 20, Kent State athletic director Joel Nielsen introduced former Ohio State receivers coach Darrell Hazell as the new head coach for the Golden Flashes. Hazell was the first Ohio State assistant coach to leave for a head coaching job in six years; the last was Mark Snyder, who was hired by Marshall in 2004.

On November 23, three days after Ball State concluded its season with a 4–8 record, Ball State athletic director Tom Collins announced the firing of Stan Parrish, saying, "As we evaluated the on-field performance and the football program in its entirety, we decided it was time for a change in direction in the leadership of the program". On December 19, Collins announced that he had hired Pete Lembo, formerly the head coach at Elon.

On December 5, NIU head coach Jerry Kill accepted the position of head coach for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. His announcement came less than two weeks before the Huskies were scheduled to play in the Humanitarian Bowl. Leaving the team in the manner he did (many teammates learned about his new job via Twitter instead of from Kill himself) dealt an emotional blow to the members of the team; star quarterback Chandler Harnish saying about Kill's departure, "I have a horrible taste in my mouth". Additionally, besides the emotional impact, USA Today noted "The timing of the announcement further hurts the program due to Kill most likely taking the bulk of his staff to Minnesota." On December 9, linebackers coach Tom Matukewicz was announced as the interim head coach for the Huskies bowl game, and on December 13, the university hired Wisconsin Badgers defensive coordinator Dave Doeren as the head coach, to begin after the Humanitarian Bowl.

On December 12, ESPN reported that Al Golden was offered and accepted the head coaching job at the University of Miami. Prior to the 2010 season, provisions requiring bowls to pick teams with seven or more wins if available before picking six-win teams were eliminated from NCAA bylaws, Note that there is no provision in this rule that gives any preference to teams with seven or more wins over 6–6 teams. and Temple was the first team go uninvited under the rule change, despite going 8–4 including a win over eventual Big East BCS representative Connecticut. On December 22, a rumor was quickly confirmed that Florida offensive coordinator, and former Florida interim head coach (winter of 2009-2010), Steve Addazio would be the new Temple coach.

On December 16, ESPN reported that Michael Haywood, who had been named the 2010 Mid-American Conference Football Coach of the Year days before, had accepted the head football coaching position at the University of Pittsburgh. Haywood was arrested in South Bend, Indiana on December 31, 2010, on felony domestic violence charges arising from a custody dispute, and was fired by Pittsburgh hours after being released on bond the next morning. Defensive backs coach Lance Guidry will coach Miami University in the 2011 GoDaddy.com Bowl. On December 31, 2010, Miami University hired Michigan State offensive coordinator Don Treadwell as its head coach.

2011 MAC Specialty Award Winners Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner: QB Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois Coach of the Year: Ron English, Eastern Michigan Offensive Player of the Year: QB Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois Defensive Player of the Year: DL Drew Nowak, Western Michigan Special Teams Player of the Year: K Matt Weller, Ohio Freshman of the Year: RB Anthon Samuel, Bowling Green

All-Conference teams 2011 All-MAC First Team Offense Quarterback – Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois Center – Scott Wedige, Northern Illinois Offensive Linemen – Mike VanDerMeulen, Toledo Offensive Lineman – Trevor Olson, Northern Illinois Offensive Lineman – Joe Flading, Ohio Offensive Linemen – Pat Boyle, Temple Tight End – Evan Rodriguez, Temple Wide Receiver – Jordan White, Western Michigan Wide Receiver – Eric Page, Toledo Wide Receiver – Nick Harwell, Miami Wide Receiver – Kamar Jorden, Bowling Green Running Back – Bernard Pierce, Temple Running Back – Branden Oliver, Buffalo Placekicker – Mathew Sims, Northern Illinois

2011 All-MAC First Team Defense Outside Linebacker – Aaron Morris, Ball State Outside Linebacker – Khalil Mack, Buffalo Inside Linebacker – Brian Wagner, Akron Inside Linebacker – Dwayne Woods, Bowling Green Down Lineman – Roosevelt Nix, Kent State Down Lineman – Adrian Robinson, Temple Down Lineman – Chris Jones, Bowling Green Down Lineman – Drew Nowak, Western Michigan Defensive Back – Jahleel Addae, Central Michigan Defensive Back – Dayonne Nunley, Miami Defensive Back – Desmond Marrow, Toledo Defensive Back – Sean Baker, Ball State Punter – Brian Schmiedebusch, Bowling Green

2011 All-MAC First Team Specialists Kickoff Return Specialist – Eric Page, Toledo Punt Return Specialist – Eric Page, Toledo

2011 All-MAC Second Team Offense Quarterback – Alex Carder, Western Michigan Center – Zac Kerin, Toledo Offensive Lineman – Brandon Brooks, Miami Offensive Lineman – Jordan Hansel, Ball State Offensive Lineman – Brian Winters, Kent State Offensive Lineman – Eric Herman, Ohio Tight End – David Blackburn, Central Michigan Wide Receiver – LaVon Brazill, Ohio Wide Receiver – Briggs Orsbon, Ball State Wide Receiver – Perez Ashford, Northern Illinois Wide Receiver – Marcus Rivers, Buffalo Running Back – Adonis Thomas, Toledo Running Back – Jasmin Hopkins, Northern Illinois Placekicker – Matt Weller, Ohio

2011 All-MAC Second Team Defense Outside Linebacker – C.J. Malauulu, Kent State Outside Linebacker – Tahir Whitehead, Temple Inside Linebacker – Travis Freeman, Ball State Inside Linebacker – Noah Keller, Ohio Down Lineman – Sean Progar-Jackson, Northern Illinois Down Lineman – Tremayne Scott, Ohio Down Lineman – Nate Ollie, Ball State Down Lineman – Brad Ohrman, Eastern Michigan Defensive Back – Johnnie Simon, Western Michigan Defensive Back – Josh Pleasant, Kent State Defensive Back – Jimmie Ward, Northern Illinois Defensive Back – T. J. Carrie, Ohio Punter – Brandon McManus, Temple

2011 All-MAC Second Team Specialists Kickoff Return Specialist – BooBoo Gates, Bowling Green Punt Return Specialist – Jamill Smith, Ball State

2011 All-MAC Third Team Offense Quarterback – Tyler Tettleton, Ohio Center – Ben Bojicic, Bowling Green Offensive Lineman – Dann O’Neill, Western Michigan Offensive Lineman – Wayne Tribue, Temple Offensive Lineman – Eric Fisher, Central Michigan Offensive Lineman – A.J. Strum, Ohio Tight End – Garrett Hoskins, Eastern Michigan Wide Receiver – Nathan Palmer, Northern Illinois Wide Receiver – Titus Davis, Central Michigan Wide Receiver – Cody Wilson, Central Michigan Wide Receiver – Chleb Ravenell, Western Michigan Running Back – Donte’ Harden, Ohio Running Back – Matt Brown, Temple Placekicker – John Potter, Western Michigan

2011 All-MAC Third Team Defense Outside Linebacker – Justin Cudworth, Eastern Michigan Outside Linebacker – Jerrell Wedge, Miami Inside Linebacker – Luke Batton, Kent State Inside Linebacker – Ryan Kennedy, Miami Down Lineman – Austin Brown, Miami Down Lineman – Morkeith Brown, Temple Down Lineman – Freddie Bishop, Western Michigan Down Lineman – T.J. Fatinikun, Toledo Defensive Back – Latarrius Thomas, Eastern Michigan Defensive Back – Kevin Kroboth, Temple Defensive Back – Luke Wollet, Kent State Defensive Back – Marlon Pollard, Eastern Michigan Punter – Scott Kovanda, Ball State

2011 All-MAC Third Team Specialists Kickoff Return Specialist – Donte’ Harden, Ohio Punt Return Specialist – Terrell Jackson, Buffalo

References