Eastern Michigan University’s Ron English has been mentioned this week by various Internet sites as a possible candidate for football coaching vacancy at Arizona State.
English, 45, directed the Eagles to a 6-6 record in a season that ended Friday. Eastern won the Mid-American Conference’s Michigan championship by beating Western and Central. English was 0-12 and 2-10 in his first two seasons. The Eastern Echo reported on April 3 English was the top-paid person at EMU in 2010, making $352,449.99.
Student reaction to any possibility English could be leaving was mixed.
Junior Larry Williams said, “I don’t know and don’t care” about English.
Others were of the sentiment the team has improved every year under English and that it probably wouldn’t be good if he were to go west. English was a graduate assistant and cornerbacks coach at ASU, from which he received a master’s degree in education administration in 1995.
Arizona State fired Dennis Erickson this week. He was 6-6 this year and is 31-30 overall, and he will coach the Sun Devils if they make a bowl game.
Were English to land at ASU, one of his Pac-12 opponents would be former Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez, who recently took over at Arizona.
English was out of town recruiting until next week and was unavailable for comment.
EMU athletic director Derrick Gragg was also unavailable for comment.
