The new defensive coordinator, hired by San Jose State University, was fired as head coach of the Eastern Michigan University (EMU) football team by Interim President Sue Martin when she was the President of EMU in 2013 after a locker room video of him saying a homophobic slur was released.
Ron English has already been introduced to the team as the new defensive coordinator and replaced Greg Robinson, who retired after the Spartans Bowl game on Dec.19.
“As president at Eastern Michigan University, I hired Ron English to lead the football program.” Martin said. “In November 2013, I fired him.”
Martin’s decision to fire English was peculiar because, in college sports, the athletic director is responsible for hiring and firing the athletic staff.
English was fired less than 24 hours before EMU’s rivalry game against Western Michigan, after The Detroit News revealed school officials had obtained a tape of English’s tirade from late October 2015.
In the video, English went on using inappropriate language toward his players, including the phrase “I don’t have respect for you little q----a-- b----, because that’s what you are.”
English subsequently apologized right after his firing and has not coached since.
“I think he’s paid a dear price, not one year, but two years sitting out of his profession so he’s kind of been held out of the profession that he’s so good and has risen so far,” Caragher said.
Caragher is well aware of English’s history, but believes that he has grown from the incident and has outstanding coaching abilities.
“I support the decision by Coach Caragher and Athletic Director Bleymaier to bring Ron aboard as defensive coordinator,” Martin said.
Before hiring English, Caragher consulted with Martin about English being hired and it had a strong impact on his decision.
“I did reach out to her and she, like me, was impressed with Ron as a coach, as a professional,” Caragher said. “There was an agreement that there was a mistake, she spoke highly of him outside of making a mistake and the mistake cost him his job.”
Caragher said he looked at four things in his search for a new defensive coordinator: high character, good understanding of the game, enthusiasm for the game and the ability to get players to execute at a high level.
Caragher has known English for 22 years before hiring him. They crossed paths during their coaching careers at combines and football games.
“I know that since his dismissal Ron has committed himself to serious self-reflection,” Martin said. “He understands the gravity of his prior mistakes and is ready for this opportunity.”
English coached at EMU from 2009 to 2013, which included winning the Mid-American Conference ‘Coach of the Year’ in 2011, finishing the season 4-4 in conference and 6-6 overall, which snapped a string of 15 consecutive losing seasons, according to Emueagles.
Defensively, in 2008 EMU finished eighth nationally in pass defense, 23rd in scoring defense and 24th in total defense.
He holds an 11-36 overall record as a college head coach.
“I think the challenges became formidable and after that conference, Coach of the Year (Ron) hit some tough sled in and then from afar I knew something happened there with the situation, but I knew Ron and that was uncharacteristic of him,” Caragher said.
Caragher had to be satisfied that Coach English’s mistake was only a one time exception before making him the new defensive coordinator.
“We all make mistakes, coaches, we all say things that we wish we could take back and it’s a passionate game, you’re fired up, you’re getting on your guys, ‘Cmon lets go lets go lets go,’ you got to build a team to run through a wall and sometimes things might slip out and you regret it,” Caragher said.“I think that’s what happened and as I talked to Ron (he) felt like ‘I made a mistake and I said something that was a mistake and I wish I could take it back but I couldn’t’.”
Caragher said he does not think it was necessary for English to be straightforward with the players regarding his past the first time he was introduced to the team.
“Over time it will come out...overtime that will come up as a teachable moment,” Caragher said. “I think that’s unfair to label someone the first time you meet someone, you put a negative connotation. Everyone in the computer age can google something, and they all probably know, they read it, and they want to find out who the new coordinator is.”
When asked whether or not there were any concerns from the players, Caragher said no, but instead the team is excited and none of the potential negative feedback have come up.
“This is an institution that is very diverse and very open and very inclusive,” Caragher said. “I think with the lesson Ron learned that can help.”
Comments
Post a Comment