Getting the opportunity to be a head coach, to run your own program, is something most every coach aspires to at some point in their career. For Ron English it took 16 years of coaching at various levels and locations before that call came.
When English was hired at Eastern Michigan he was one of only six African American coaches at the Football Bowl Subdivision. Success was not easy to come by for the disadvantaged program. They went 0-12 in English’s first season and 2-10 in his second year. However, 2011 saw the Eagles’ best season in 17 years when English’s team finished 6-6 (4-4 MAC) and earned a bowl bid.