For first-year Head Football Coach Ron English, it is
all about the process.
English, who was named EMU's head football coach Dec.
23, 2008, has been on a fast track since taking over the
reins.
From selecting a staff, to recruiting his first class
of football players, to developing his blueprint for success
at EMU, English has been plenty busy during his first six
months on the job.
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EMBRACE THE PROCESS: Eastern Michigan
University
Head Football Coach Ron English (above,
center) looms
front and center on the 2009 Eagles'
football poster.
English adheres to a formula for
success predicated on
having a process in place
to reach team goals. |
And through all of the hustle and bustle of his day-to-day
activities, English knows that, without a plan, all of
the hard work will not pay off.
"For me, the entire situation is all about the process," English
said. "You can have great ideas and hopes for success,
but you have to have a process in place to reach your goals.
Everything must be done with one goal in mind, to make
sure that everyone understands their role in how we do
things here at Eastern Michigan University."
The coaching staff, with the exception of one holdover
from last season, is entirely new and English has worked
tirelessly with every coach to ensure that they all share
the same goals and ideals of how to make the program a
success.
Those goals were presented to the returning players during
the 2009 spring drills.
"One of our major goals is to build a team that understands
what physical toughness is and, more importantly, what
mental toughness is," English said. "Obviously,
we will install both our offense and defense so that our
players have an understanding of the concepts involved
in both.
"We want to teach our players how to win in terms
of situations, and also the importance of field position
and turnovers," English added. "We want to be
able to run the ball and also be accomplished in defending
the run."
English and his staff also understand the importance of
the evaluation process when new coaches work with a team
for the first time on the field.
"We wanted to evaluate every returning player in
spring practice," English said. "That was the
right thing and the fair thing to do. We evaluated each
player and then made the decisions on who will be the first
guys to run out on the field and so forth.
"What we ultimately want to do is build a program
where we feel good about playing a lot of football players," English
said. " For example, we don't want to have starters
and not worry about the rest of the guys. We would like
to create a program with a lot of depth.
"We're really not going into the season with any
preconceived notions, but we are going in with the thought
that we want to develop a team through tough, hard practices;
build fundamentals, and install our philosophies on offense
and defense."
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ONE TO WATCH: Jacori Stone, a senior wide
receiver for the Eagles, was named to the
Biletnikoff
Award List. The award is presented
annually to
the nation's outstanding college
football receiver.
Last year, Stone caught a
team-high 88 passes for
943 yards and three
touchdowns. |
That initial learning process began in spring ball and
continues into the fall with a core group of 47 returning
lettermen, 23 on offense and 24 on defense.
The 2008 Eagles rolled up record-breaking efforts in three
games last year and the top two quarterbacks from that
offensive machine return in senior Andy Schmitt and junior
Kyle McMahon.
Both signal callers turned in strong performances in 2008
and will provide solid depth at that position.
Schmitt started 10 of 11 games in which he played last
year and completed 261-of-417 passes for 2,644 yards and
15 touchdowns. Schmitt also finished third on the team
in rushing with 171 yards on 57 carries with five touchdowns
on the ground.
In addition, Schmitt was named the Walter Camp National
Offensive Player of the Week for the Central Michigan game
after setting a national record for pass completions with
58. He also established a national record against Temple,
when he attempted 76 passes without an interception.
In the CMU game, Schmitt completed 58-of-80 passes for
516 yards and five touchdowns. In the Temple battle, he
completed 50-of-76 passes for 484 yards and three touchdowns.
McMahon played in five games, starting twice, before suffering
a season-ending shoulder injury. He completed 45-of-73
passes for 574 yards and two touchdowns in his limited
time at the throttle.
Jacori Stone, a senior wide receiver, has been named to
the Biletnikoff Award Watch List. The award is presented
annually to the nation's outstanding college football receiver.
A three-year letter winner, Stone caught a team-high 88
passes for 943 yards and three touchdowns last season for
the Eagles, earning second-team All-Mid-American Conference
accolades. Against Temple last season, Stone caught a career-high
18 passes for 152 yards and one touchdown. In his career,
Stone has tallied 148 receptions, good for third in EMU
football history, while his 1,504 career receiving yards
ranks seventh all-time in school history.
For more information on the Eagles' roster this season,
go to http://www.emueagles.com/news/2009/7/27/FB_0727093548.aspx?path=football
To see a video of Coach English discussing this year's
team, go to http://www.emich.edu/video/index.php?v=9109english
