In a move that’s been more than two years in the making, Ron English is officially back in the coaching profession at the collegiate level.
In a press release that confirmed the reports that surfaced late last month, San Jose State announced that English was one of four additions made to Ron Caragher‘s Spartans coaching staff. As expected, English will serve as Caragher’s defensive coordinator.
This marks English’s first job since controversy marked the end of his last.
Eastern Michigan announced Nov. 8, 2013, one day before its game with in-state rival Western Michigan, that English had been fired as its head football coach. A day later, athlete director Heather Lyle alluded to a tape of English using “wholly inappropriate language” in a team meeting that had been brought to her attention and triggered the dismissal.
English subsequently apologized for losing his poise and using “homosexual slurs” in the meeting. In his mea culpa, English added that he is looking “forward to continuing a career that has been marked by molding men of integrity, passion, and intensity for 21 years.”
Unfortunately for the coach, that continuation took a two-year hiatus as he was sidelined for both the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
English spent nearly five full seasons as EMU’s head coach (2009-13). Prior to that, he was the defensive coordinator at Louisville (2008) and Michigan (2006-07).
“I’m excited about the new defensive staff members we added to our program,” the coach said in a statement. “Ron English has experience as a coordinator at the Division I level and as a head coach at Eastern Michigan. His experience and success in coaching will be a great addition.”
English becomes the replacement for Greg Robinson, who announced his retirement as SJSU’s coordinator this past December. Like English, Robinson was also a former Michigan coordinator.
In addition to English, the hirings of Arnold Ale as linebackers coach, Will Harris as defensive backs coach and Barry Sacks as defensive line coach were announced as well. Ale is a former teammate of Caragher’s at UCLA, while Sacks spent the past two seasons at New Mexico.
