Shanahan takes over as JMU offensive coordinator

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – The James Madison soccer team has a new player to play this fall.

Mike Shanahan takes over as offensive coordinator for JMU. He has been the Dukes wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator for the past few seasons under JMU head coach Curt Cignetti. Shanahan replaces Shane Montgomery, who left JMU to become the offensive coordinator in Buffalo.

“I think his knowledge, his offensive knowledge, has really improved,” Cignetti said. “And now he’s learning to be a playmaker. And there, too, there’s a learning process.

Shanahan was on Cignetti’s coaching staff at Elon and IUP, an NCAA Division II program in Pennsylvania. He is now preparing to call for coins and lead an attack for the first time in his career.

“We are speaking as the staff leading to the games, or even leading to the scrums,” Shanahan said. “We kind of have a few first pieces that we want to be called to see what they do or just pieces that we feel really good about. It’s just a matter of adjusting and seeing what the defense does.

As a player, Shanahan was an outstanding wide receiver at the University of Pittsburgh from 2008-2012.

Sunseri makes debut as JMU QB coach

Tino Sunseri is in his first season as quarterback coach James Madison. He joins the Dukes after recently serving on the University of Alabama coaching staff. Sunseri replaces Montgomery and his impact is already being felt by JMU starting quarterback Cole Johnson.

“How to behave as a quarterback and that we are responsible for driving the car as an offensive quarterback,” said Johnson, a sixth-year senior, discussing what he learned of Sunseri during the fall camp. “So it’s really good to learn my footwork, my timing, my pace as a quarterback, so I feel like I’m playing a lot better.”

As a player, Sunseri was Shanahan’s quarterback at the University of Pittsburgh.

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