Football hires defensive back coach, Jason Makrinos

The Carnegie Mellon football team recently announced the hiring of Jason Makrinos as a full-time assistant and defensive back coach. Makrinos, a native of Pittsburgh, comes from Kent State University (Division I), where he held a graduate assistant position last year.
Makrinos graduated from Peters Township High School and played on the defensive line there. He went to school at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pa. and played on the defensive line for three years. Makrinos sustained a knee injury in the off-season leading up to his senior year and, as a result, became a student assistant. He helped coach the defensive line and recruit for one season before graduating with with a B.A. in pychology in 2005.
Makrinos then became a graduate assistant at Slippery Rock University for two years during which he completed a master’s degree in sports management in 2007. He coached the linebackers during his first year and the secondary line in his second year. His goal upon leaving Slippery Rock was to get a Division I graduate assistant position, which he accomplished courtesy of Kent State. He spent last year with the Golden Flashes working with the defensive backs and with the strength and conditioning coach to plan off-season workout programs.
Makrinos enjoyed his experience, but had a desire to coach his own position and the day he saw Carnegie Mellon’s post on the Internet, he e-mailed his résumé to the Human Resources department and head football coach Rich Lackner that afternoon.
“The opportunity to coach college football in my backyard is awesome,” Makrinos said. “Carnegie Mellon hasn’t had a losing season in 33 years, and I’m excited to build on that tradition and work with Coach Lackner. My goal is [to] try and help Carnegie Mellon win a national championship.”
Makrinos’s high expectations for himself and the team include winning the University Athletic Association next season and going to the playoffs. Once in the playoffs, he will only be happy with a ring on his finger.
“I expect a lot out of myself, the players, the coaching staff, and I want to build a team camaraderie first with the defensive backs, then I want it to carry to the entire defense, and hopefully to inspire the entire team,” said Makrinos. “My goal is a national championship every year, and I think if that’s not your goal as a player or coach, I don’t know why you’re playing football.”