Starting a new coaching job is rarely smooth, but for one college football coach, it included an unexpected contractual twist. Included in the agreement was a clause requiring him to hold an introductory press conference within 10 days of being hired, or face a hefty $500,000 penalty. The fine, notably larger than his base salary, raised eyebrows across the college football world. You’d think this was some over-the-top Hollywood plot, right? But nope, this was college football reality.
The chatter started on message boards and quickly became a topic of discussion among fans and media alike.“$500K fine if no press conference? Seriously?” Social media ran wild with speculation. Fans, media members, even casual observers started questioning if universities had officially gone off the deep end. Was this desperation? A PR stunt? Or just a strategic clause gone rogue?
Let’s pull the curtain back. The coach in question is Matt Drinkall. He stepped into a head-coaching gig recently at Central Michigan, one that came with a stunning clause: hold your introductory press conference on the 9th or 10th of the hiring month, or face a staggering $500k penalty to be paid to the school. That’s right, a sum that eclipses his $415k base salary. What was likely signed as a compliance safeguard instead became a viral headline. Turning a routine press event into one of the most bizarre coaching stories of the year.
And as usual, fans rallied. Across Twitter and Instagram, supporters debated and joked: “Is this even legal?” Some called it absurd while others assumed that there can be a deeper strategic play to ensure media coverage and fans’ attention. If this clause was supposed to motivate compliance, its effect has been explosive, but not in the way they intended. Drinkall was named the 30th head football coach at Central Michigan University on December 9, 2024, taking over the coaching responsibilities from Jim McElwain, who coached the program for six years. McElwain’s reign at Central Michigan was not-so-good. The Chippewas had three back-to-back losing seasons under McElwain in 2022, 2023, and 2024. So Drinkall’s arrival has brought new hopes to the program with some new hirings in the staff, while also retaining some.
Key retentions and smart hires mark early days of Matt Drinkall era
While the staggering fine clause grabbed the fans’ attention, Matt Drinkall is quietly laying the groundwork for a strong foundation at Central Michigan. One of his smartest moves so far? Retaining John Leister, who has been with the program since 2019 and now steps into a new role as Director of External Operations. It’s a slight shift from his previous operational duties, but one that Drinkall believes plays to Leister’s strengths, and then some.
“We are excited to announce John Leister as our new Director of External Relations, a role that marks an exciting shift for him as he steps off the field and into this vital position,” Drinkall told the official athletics website of the Central Michigan Chippewas. “John brings with him an extraordinary wealth of experience and a vast network of relationships across the state of Michigan, connections he has built over years of dedication and hard work,” he added. Before joining CMU, Leister brought offensive firepower to Lindenwood University in Illinois, and now, with this new title, he’s expected to lead the program’s external outreach and connect with the broader community.
With all these internal moves, Drinkall is showing what this opportunity means to him to coach a G-5 program. He’s someone who genuinely wants to restructure the team from the inside out. If these early decisions are any indication, Central Michigan might be headed for something special, and this time, it won’t need a press conference clause to grab headlines.
The post College Football Coach Will Be Liable to Pay $500K Fine Over a Failed Press Conference appeared first on EssentiallySports.