Ball State’s Mike Uremovich set for emotional coaching debut against Purdue
MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State football is entering a new era this fall with Mike Uremovich taking over as the 19th head coach in program history. Uremovich, who assumed leadership of the program in December 2024, inherits a team that looks very different from last season. The Cardinals feature 53 new players, including 33 transfers from across 13 different states, and five from Purdue — the same school where Uremovich once played.
For Uremovich, the chance to lead a Mid-American Conference team is something he values. “I love the MAC conference. It's a really level playing field. I mean, you look at the disparity in the Big Ten from what the top program you're spending to the bottom programs. It's not really even like the same conference. Whereas in the MAC everybody's about the same with their budgets, what they can do scholarship wise, recruiting wise. So you really get a chance to see if you can coach or not,” he said.
While the roster has undergone a massive overhaul, Uremovich stresses that establishing the way his team practices is just as important as the X’s and O’s. “It sounds dumb, but you have to learn like, how we want to practice. You have to learn we’re going to be doing inside runs every day…And so that takes time…They don’t just learn that overnight.”
Saturday’s season opener adds another layer of meaning for the Cardinals’ new coach. Ball State kicks off against Purdue — Uremovich’s alma mater. For him, it’s more than just another game. “I could lie and say I haven’t thought about it, but that's not true. I mean, all my fraternity brothers are sending me pictures of Ball State shirts they’ve ordered and they'll all be at the game so that part will be fun for all of them once we get to kickoff. It's a game though,” he admitted.
The connection to Purdue doesn’t end there. Just two weeks ago, Uremovich dropped his son off at Purdue to begin his freshman year. “It was weird because I was excited for my son. Obviously sad to see him go, but excited for him for this next chapter in his life. And then, you know, I drove from the office here. So I met him and my wife there, and I'm driving by the stadium coming in, and then the band's practicing on the practice field. So, it was kind of weird.”
For Uremovich, it’s a full-circle moment — from getting his coaching start as a local high school football coach while at Purdue , to now leading Ball State against the Boilermakers as his head coaching debut. The Cardinals may be one of the MAC’s most overhauled squads this year, but with a new head coach, fresh faces, and a matchup that’s deeply personal, Ball State enters 2025 with no shortage of storylines.
