Ohio Dominican University

YEAR: 9th in 2024
PREVIOUS COLLEGE: Eastern Kentucky '93

• The Panthers saw their 12 straight winning season streak snapped in 2023 with a 4-7 overall record.
  • Eddie Miller-Garrett was Great Midwest Co-Player of the Year along with a three-time All-American (AFCA, AP and D2CCA) as well as a Harlon Hill Nominee and D2CCA Regional Defensive Player of the Year.
  • Nine players earned All-Conference awards. 
• Cummings led the Panthers to a 7-3 record in 2022, the 7th straight Fall campaign with at least seven wins and the 12th straight winning season.
  • Jaylin Garner and Ty Keirns were named Defensive and Offensive Lineman of the Year, respectively along with 17 All-Conference honorees.
  • Cummings became ODU’s winningest football coach on November 5th, 2022 with a 35-24 win at Northwood, his 47th win. 
• After the abbreviated spring season in 2021, Ohio Dominican followed it up with a 7-4 overall mark in the fall.
  • The Panthers went 4-3 in G-MAC play.
  • Kicking specialist Jed Quackenbush was a unanimous All-American.
  • Senior linebacker Dauson Dales added a pair of All-American awards and after the season signed a professional contract to play in the Italian Football League.
• A shortened spring season in 2021 replaced the normal fall slate in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The Panthers went 4-2 in a Great Midwest-only schedule.
  • ODU finished in a tie for second in the conference standings and had 20 All-GMAC performers. Quarterback Evan Ernst also earned the athletic department's first COSIDA Academic All-America Player of the Year award.  
• Cummings led the Panthers to a 7-3 overall mark in 2019, including a 6-1 record in Great Midwest play.
  • As a result, ODU earned its first postseason bowl bid, appearing in the inaugural America's Crossroads Bowl against nationally-ranked Truman State (Mo.).
  • Under his guidance, 20 Panther players were selected to the All-GMAC team, while the program earned a total of eight all-region awards as well.
  • Junior punter Logen Neidhardt was also tabbed an athletic and academic all-American, while senior linebacker Camren Moore, who broke the program's all-time tackle record, was named a finalist for the Columbus Chapter National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete award. 
• Under his tutelage in 2018, the Panthers went 9-2 overall.
  • 23 players received postseason accolades, including a sweep of the G-MAC MVP honors. Wide receiver Cory Contini, was named the conference Offensive Player of the Year, while linebacker Ross Thompson was Defensive Player of the Year, and quarterback Evan Ernst earned the Freshman of the Year.
  • In addition, Contini was the second player of Cummings' head coaching tenure to receive recognition for the Harlon Hill Trophy. Thompson was a candidate for the Cliff Harris Award.
• In 2017, he led ODU to a Great Midwest Athletic Conference championship with a perfect 7-0 mark in league play, capped off by a 49-24 win over Findlay in the finale to win the title.
  • Cummings was named the G-MAC Coach of the Year, with 21 players picking up all-conference accolades.
  • The Panthers led the league with 11 first team performers and won five of the eight individual awards that were handed out.
  • Playing a schedule that was ranked No. 30 in the country along with taking on an FCS opponent, Cummings directed the Panthers to their seventh straight winning season.
  • ODU led the nation in passing efficiency and fewest turnovers, ranked second in third down conversions and third in passing offense and total offense.
• He was named the head coach at Ohio Dominican on Jan. 29, 2016 as the third head coach in program history. In his first season leading the Panthers in 2016, ODU finished with a 7-4 record, including a win over regionally ranked Wayne State.
  • The Panthers had 10 players earn All-GLIAC honors, and quarterback Grant Russell was a candidate for the Harlon Hill Trophy.
• Cummings was the defensive coordinator from 2013 to 2016, when he took over the head coaching role. 
  • ODU won the outright GLIAC championship in 2013 and qualified for the NCAA Playoffs for the first time in program history. That year, ODU had the top scoring defense in the GLIAC (18.1 points per game) and ranked third in total defense (367.2 yards per game) while ranking third in the country in sacks (3.73 per game).
  • The Panthers followed that up with an 11-2 record in 2014, reaching the NCAA Quarterfinals before suffering a three-point loss to eventual national champion Colorado State-Pueblo. In 2014, Ohio Dominican allowed just 19.1 points per game and led the GLIAC by forcing 30 turnovers. The defense also totaled 31 sacks and 91 tackles for loss and held all but one opponent below its season scoring average.
  • ODU was ranked No. 4 in the final poll that season and entered 2015 ranked No. 4 as well. Despite season-ending injuries to several All-Americans, the Panthers again led the GLIAC in scoring defense (22.2 points per game) and passing defense (204.0 yards per game).

BEFORE OHIO DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY

• Prior to arriving at Ohio Dominican, Cummings worked as the defensive ends, special teams and linebackers coach at Toledo for two years.
  • He helped the Rockets win the MAC West Division and the 2011 Military.Com Bowl. Toledo's defense ranked fourth in the country in rushing defense and third in turnover ratio.
• Cummings also spent four years at Findlay, where he was named the 2009 OhioCollegeFootball.com Division II Defensive Coordinator of the Year. He led one of the GLIAC's top pass defenses and red zone defenses during his time with the Oilers.
• He was also the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Wittenberg for five years, helping the Tigers win three NCAC championships and make four NCAA playoff appearances. Wittenberg's defense finished second in the country in the 2000 and led the NCAC four consecutive years in total defense, run defense, pass defense and scoring defense.
• Cummings had his start in collegiate coaching at Denison, where he worked from 1995-99 as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator.