Sean Cronin

Biography

A 24-year college coaching veteran, Sean Cronin enters his second season at Central Michigan as the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach. Known for tough, physical, and efficient play, Cronin has built a career while leading high-performing defensive units. The Detroit, Mich. native has coached on football staffs that have appeared in a combined 10 bowl games, won two FBS national championships and three conference titles. In his first season at Central Michigan in 2025, Cronin propelled the Chippewas to their first bowl appearance in four years with a 7-6 overall record, a 7-3 mark against non-Power 4 opponents, and a 5-3 MAC record. Utilizing an experienced play-making defense, Central Michigan allowed just 17.5 points per game in its eight MAC games and achieved top 30 national rankings in red zone defense (No. 10), defensive touchdowns (No. 10), and turnovers gained (No. 26). In each win, CMU held each of its opponents to 20 points or less, forced at least one turnover in all 13 games, and finished the regular season with a plus-8 turnover margin (20-12), ranking among the nation's best. Two of his defensive players earned All-America honors including defensive end Michael Heldman and linebacker Jordan Kwiatkowski. Heldman and Kwiatkowski were First Team All-MAC picks, and linebacker Dakota Cochran was Second Team. Kwiatkowski led the Chippewas with 117 tackles (52 solo) with three forced fumbles and three interceptions. Heldman had 10.5 sacks, 16.5 tackles for loss, a

Career Path