The former MAC and ACC assistant finally gets a chance to lead his own unit at the FBS level.
Ball State announced their new head football coach on Wednesday morning, with Butler University’s Mike Uremovich set to lead the Cardinals.
“Mike Uremovich brings a significant breadth of coaching experience from high school, small college, FCS and FBS levels,” Ball State athletic director Jeff Mitchell said via press release. “He has spent time in Group of 5 and Power 4 conference environments. He has an extensive background in both coordinator and head coaching roles, and his recruiting connections are deep. What is readily apparent and what will excite our fans and players is the level of urgency and detail in his plan to lead our football program and return the Cardinals to the top of the Mid-American Conference.”
Uremovich is indeed experienced at the FBS level, spending time as a running backs coach under Dave Doeren at Northern Illinois (2011-12) and North Carolina State (2013-15) as an offensive line coach before returning to DeKalb as an assistant head coach and offensive coordinator under Rod Carey from 2016-19, following Carey to Temple from 2019-2021.
Uremovich was hired by Butler University, a member of the non-scholarship Pioneer League at the FCS level, in 2022 and immediately turned the program around, notching three consecutive wining seasons with the Bulldogs. The streak was the program’s first since 1987-1989.
In his tenure in Indianapolis, Butler achieved the school’s first ranking in program history, peaking at #23 in 2024 en route to a 9-3 record. Three players were also tabbed as Players of the Year under Uremovich, with Jyran Mitchell (2023) and Bret Bushka (2022) earning Offensive Player of the Year and current Western Michigan kicker Luka Zurak earning Special Teams Player of the Year in 2022.
The Bulldogs offense averaged 35.6 points (ninth in the FCS) and 407.8 yards per game in 2024, while the defense ranked fourth in the FCS with just 16.3 points allowed per game.
Between both his head coaching stops, Uremovich is 56-56 in 10 seasons combined at Butler (2022-24) and University of St. Francis (NAIA; 2005-11.)
“My family and I are extremely excited to be a part of the Ball State family,” Uremovich said via press release. “I am thankful for the trust that President [Geoffrey] Mearns and Jeff Mitchell have placed in me to direct this proud football program. We are elated about the opportunity to help shape this organization and engage with the Muncie community. I look forward to meeting with the team, and I can’t wait to get to work.”
Uremovich is set to replace Mike Neu, a former Ball State alum who led the program over the last nine seasons. Neu went 40-63 in his tenure.
Ball State will start their 101st campaign on Aug. 30, 2025 in West Lafayette, Indiana, when they take on Purdue.