Words are difficult to come by when describing who Mike Drake was and continues to be in the lives of the many people he touched. Mike Drake was larger than life - you felt his passion for life in your heart.
Mike grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan graduating from Western Michigan University (WMU). He followed his passion by dedicating his life toward building the character of young men through coaching college football, beginning at WMU - Football by Drake was born.
At the age of 27, Mike Drake became the youngest head college football coach in the country, debuting at Western New Mexico University. In succeeding years, Mike was named head football coach at the United States Naval Academy Preparatory School (NAPS), followed by coaching stints at the Naval Academy, and the University of Kentucky, before coming to Kent State University in 1998. Football by Drake was alive and well. While at Kent, Mike was the assistant head coach, offensive coordinator, and special teams coordinator, as well as an academic advisor for countless student athletes.