The coaching was bad this year. Coach English had never led a team and it showed. Poor game management was evident all season and it got worse. The last game of the year, when the team was fighting to stay in it, and the plays came in so slow, EMU escaped two delay of game penalties (the referees were in error) and waisted a time out! THE LAST GAME OF THE YEAR and the coaches had yet to “learn” how to manage a game.

That is one example. Coach English came in with a lot of talk but the coaches failed as much as the players.

Next year, there is no execuse.

Give this new coaching team time to recruit. Ron English WILL have the ability to draw some good players into his program.
The coaching team is new. There WILL be some errors.
Mr English came into a program unable to recruit a 3rd stringer from Podunk. It will take some time for the new guys to get into the community and recruit. I am hoping we start seeing some good recruits from some local teams….Ypsi, Willow Run, Milan, Chelsea, Dexter A2, etc…..it’s a good way to attract a decent home crowd, following the kids that they KNOW from high school football.
And I’m tired of reading about our finest high school players locally heading out of state to play their college ball.
Just some thoughts….EMU is a great school. We are sometimes our own worst enemy. Stop talking yourselves down. Start talking EMU UP!!!

I’m betting that Gragg will not be around to fire English.

Ron English will need time to build a winning program. This takes time, if we see no improvement next season then it will be time for Ron English to go. That is what may happen to Rich Rod.

People make lots of excuses when it comes to EMU! As an alum and season ticket holder, I dont make excuses.

Perhaps Coach English will build a program here.

I will “embrace the process” …

But the fact it, the coaches were in over their heads this year. I went to every home game. I went to the U-M game. I watched the Northwestern game on TV and I listened to every road game on WEMU …

The coaching was terrible.

They have had their “one” year; now they need to improve.

Mr Lumberg, I respect your opinion but think about this:

Two expert carpenters are given a detailed wood working job – one is given a hammer and chisel.One is given a toolbox full of artisan type woodworking tools.

In the end, the carpenter with the best tools produces the best product.
People rave about that carpenter.
They should be raving about the guy who bought that toolbox for him!

Recruiting is the name of the game. Mr English and company WILL recruit good players. I hope we get some local blood in here to draw more people to games. For the past 40 yrs I’ve thought EMU’s problem was trying to compete with UM crowds. I feel we should be crafting a hometown (meaning SE Michigan) feel to EMU football. Again, just my opinion.
Enjoy your day!
Judy

Judy

Agree with everything you say – BUT – coaching is an issue that needs to be addressed. English even said so in the final pre-game talk on WEMU – that the coaches need to step it up.

Recruiting is a PART of the game … coaching is just an important.

They have had their year to learn; now there is no excuse for poor coaching …

Carl

To all of the comments.

You are all not seeing the truth.

EMU has been terrible for a long, long time.

With Jeff Genyk, EMU was really close to changing things.

Like, “Lost Huron” said, why did EMU not learn from Northern Illinois. The Huskies were in the exact same situation as EMU, except they were worse.

But that AD, and board of regents were smart enough to realize that more change would not help, and that while the results on the field weren’t there yet, they were close.

Coach Novak got an extension, and NIU has been one of the best MAC teams for the last 10 years. At one point being ranked as high as 11 in the AP poll.

Could you imagine EMU being ranked?

Experts thought that this year’s Eagles were going to be good, and they had their whole offense back from a team that broke 9 NCAA records its last 2 games.

The 2008 Eagles scored almost as many point in 2 weeks as the 2009 did all season.

We beat CMU last year and lost this year 56-8!!!!! 56-8!!!

Ron English did a terrible job this year. The kids played like they were in a coma. Not competitive, not tough, not winners.

EMU has made their own bed… I just feel sorry for those seniors.

Scalped

I am a 1965 grad of Eastern and have always thought that I made the right choice of a university when I enrolled here.
I was a thirty year season ticket holder from 1968 – 1998 because this was my university (not the one in Ann Arbor), and I felt this is where my loyalties should be. However, the almost constant losing season after season I dropped my season tickets. I have been to some games here and there throughout the last ten years or so, but again, mostly the same results.
I have visited both Central’s and Western’s stadiums for games in the past, and if your stadium qualifies for facilities then Eastern blows both of them away.
I do agree with most of what has been said on this site, but I feel that Eastern needs to win now – not three years down the line. Its been nothing but three years down the line for the last fifteen years!
I feel part of the problem is being in the shadow of Ann Arbor, and personally I believe we need to get into a better conference so we can attract better athletes. To me the MAC is mediocre at best. I also realize one has to offer a conference a competitive program of which we do not have at this time. In the last few years Eastern played Cincinnati (lost on a last second field goal try that missed), played Connecticut a few times and won once. My point is they are now members of the Big East and have very competitive programs in that conference. I also know it takes more than just joining a new conference, but I sure think that would help.