Eastern Michigan Eagles football

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Eastern Michigan Eagles football
2023 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team
First season1891
Athletic directorScott Wetherbee
Head coachChris Creighton
9th season, 40–60 (.400)
StadiumRynearson Stadium
(capacity: 30,200)
Field surfaceFieldTurf
LocationYpsilanti, Michigan
NCAA divisionDivision I FBS
ConferenceMid-American Conference
DivisionWest
Past conferencesMIAA (1894–1926)
MCC (1927–1930)
IIAC (1950–1961)
PAC (1964–1965)
All-time record490–623–47 (.443)
Bowl record2–6 (.250)
Conference titles10 (1896, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1987)[1]
RivalriesCentral Michigan (rivalry), Western Michigan
Current uniform
ColorsGreen and white[2]
   
Fight song"Eagles Fight Song", "Go Green", "Our Pledge"
MascotSwoop
Marching bandPride of the Peninsula
OutfitterAdidas
WebsiteEMUEagles.com

The Eastern Michigan Eagles are a

Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Mid-American Conference
. Past names include "Michigan State Normal College Normalites" (1899 to 1928), "Michigan State Normal College Hurons" (1929 to 1955), and "Eastern Michigan Hurons" (1956 to 1990).

Since 1891, Eastern Michigan University has compiled an all-time record of 490–622–47, fielding a team in each year except 1944. The team has achieved five undefeated seasons, in 1906, 1925, 1927, 1943 (holding opponents scoreless), and 1945. The team saw its greatest period of success from 1925 through 1939 under head coach Elton Rynearson, for whom their home field, Rynearson Stadium, is named. Among the lowest periods in the team's history was a 27-game losing streak in the early 1980s; under head coach Mike Stock the team was held scoreless seven times and posted an average margin of loss of 18 points per game.

History

Early history (1891–1977)

The 1892 Michigan State Normal team

Michigan State Normal School first fielded a football team in 1891.[3] Initially the team had no official nickname, being known variously as the "Normalites" or the "Men from Ypsi". From 1892 to 1926, the team competed in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, winning conference championships in 1896 and 1925. (Although the MIAA did not recognize football as an official sport until 1894, MIAA teams competed against each other as early as 1891.)[4] After playing football for three years at the University of Michigan, including being on the undefeated 1898 Michigan Wolverines football team that won the university's first Western Conference championship, Clayton Teetzel travelled six miles east to Ypsilanti, where he became the first person to coach the Michigan State Normal College football team for more than one year. From 1900 through 1902, his teams compiled a 6–14–1 record.[5]

The 1916 season was cut short after four games when Coach Elmer Mitchell and four players contracted smallpox; the last game was played October 28 against the University of Detroit.[6]

Elton Rynearson in the 1916 MSNC football team photograph

Following the smallpox–shortened 1916 season,[6] Elton Rynearson was hired to replace Elmer Mitchell. Although Rynearson's offense was more effective, outscoring opponents 111 to 82, more than half of the scoring came in a single game, a 63–0 rout of Central Michigan, and the team ended the season with a 3–4 record. After the shortened 3-game 1918 season was coached by Lynn Bell, Rynearson returned to coach the 1919 squad to their first winning season in four years.[7] After another winning season in 1920, other coaches assumed the duties for four years, during which the team managed a 9–15–4 record.[8] Rynearson's return in 1925 sparked the most successful period in school history. From 1925 through 1930, the team achieved a 40–4–2 record, including perfect seasons in 1925 and 1927. From 1925 through 1927 they outscored opponents 405 points to 31 and registered 19 shutouts. They won the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championship in 1925, and won the Michigan Collegiate Conference championships in 1927, 1928, 1929, and 1930.[9][10] In 1929, the Michigan State Normal College Men's Union sponsored a contest to determine a nickname. A three-person committee chose "Hurons" from the contest entries; the runner-up name was "Pioneers". The name Hurons was submitted by Gretchen Borst and George Hanner, both MSNC students. It is likely that Hanner got the idea from the Huron Hotel in downtown Ypsilanti, where he was employed.[11]

Although less dominant, Rynearson's teams continued to have success throughout the 1930s, never having a losing season until the teams of 1940 and 1941 combined for a 2–10–3 record. The 1943 and 1945 teams (there was no team in 1944) were again successful, combining for a 7–0–1 record. However, following the end of World War II, Rynearson's teams again struggled, and he ended his coaching career on a streak of three losing seasons from 1946 through 1948.[12] His 26 seasons as head coach are double those of the next-longest serving coach, Fred Trosko, and no Eastern Michigan University football coach has reached even half of Rynearson's win total of 114 games.[5] Following Rynearson's retirement in 1948, Harry Ockerman was the head coach for three undistinguished years, in which he compiled a 7–19–0 record, including a winless first season. For the 1952 season, Fred Trosko was hired as head coach, and over the next several seasons the team improved markedly, attaining a 7–1–1 record in 1953, an 8–1–0 record in 1954, and a 7–2–0 record in 1955. The team was not able to sustain the success, however, and for the remained of his thirteen seasons Trosko's teams struggled, finishing two consecutive seasons winless (1960 and 1961, both 0–8–1), and only managing two additional winning seasons, going 6–3–0 in 1957 and 4–3–0 in 1964, Trosko's final year. In thirteen seasons, the second longest tenure of any head coach at the school, Trosko had nearly as many losses as Rynearson had in twenty-six seasons.[3]

In July 1952, Fred Trosko was hired as head football coach at Michigan State Normal College.[13] Trosko had been a star college running back at Michigan under head coach Fritz Crisler. The team improved markedly during Trosko's early years as head coach. In his first seven seasons, the team attained a record of 41–19–2, including a 7–1–1 record in 1953 and an 8–1–0 record in 1954.[3] His teams won Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference ("IIAC") championships in 1954 and 1957.[14] The team's success came to an abrupt end in 1959. Trosko's teams had a 29-game winless streak (0–27–2) starting with the third game of the 1959 season and continuing through the fifth game of the 1962 season.[3][14] The precipitous decline followed the decision of the Eastern Michigan administration not to follow an IIAC policy that allowed member schools to award scholarships. Competing with non-scholarship athletes against conference schools with scholarship athletes, Trosko's Eastern Michigan teams were unable to compete.[14] In August 1965, Trosko announced his resignation as the school's head football coach, and it was reported that the resignation was the result of "an apparent break with school administrators over policy."[15] Trosko had the second longest tenure of any head coach at the school.[14] He also taught at Eastern Michigan and remained on the faculty at Eastern Michigan after retiring as football coach.[15] He ultimately retired in 1981 as a professor emeritus.[14] In 1982, he was inducted into the Eastern Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.[16] Jerry Raymond was the head football coach of the Hurons for the 1965 and 1966 seasons,[17] and his coaching record at the school was 8 wins, 7 losses and 2 ties. As of the conclusion of the 2010 season, this ranks him No. 12 at Eastern Michigan in total wins and No. 13 at the school in winning percentage (.529).[18]

In July 1967,

McKenny Union.[25] In 1969, the new stadium, which was considered off-campus at the time, opened with a capacity of 15,500. Boisture's bowl-bound 1971 team played for one of the few sellout crowds in the stadium's history, a 0–0 tie against Eastern Kentucky on October 16, 1971, which drew 17,360 spectators.[26] In February 1974, Boisture left Eastern Michigan to coach the Detroit Wheels, in the Central Division of the World Football League. The Wheels played their home games at Rynearson Stadium after they were unable to secure an agreement with Tiger Stadium in Detroit or Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.[27][28] In 1972, Eastern Michigan joined the Mid-American Conference
, in which they still compete.

In February 1974, Michigan assistant coach George Mans was hired as the head football coach of the Eagles,[29] where he remained for the 1974 and 1975 seasons. In his first season as head coach, Mans' team started the season with only one win in the first six games, but the team finished strong, going 3–1–1 in the final five games.[30] In May 1976, Mans announced his resignation as Eastern Michigan's coach in what the Associated Press described as a "surprise move."[31] According to one newspaper report, Mans resigned "when it became apparent that EMU would place a greater emphasis on basketball, hiring former Detroit Pistons Coach Ray Scott."[32] Mans compiled an 8–12–1 record in two seasons as the head football coach at Eastern Michigan.[33] Coach Ed Chlebek came to Eastern Michigan from the University of Notre Dame, where he was an assistant under Dan Devine and coached future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana. Chlebek's Eagles compiled a 10–12 record from 1976 to 1977.[34] After an impressive 8–3 campaign in 1977, Chlebek left EMU to accept the position of head football coach at Boston College.[35]

Mike Stock era (1978–1982)

Mike Stock's tenure as head coach is primarily remembered for a school-record 27-game losing streak from 1980 through 1982, including a winless season in 1981.[36] He was fired after the team lost the first three games of 1982, including a 49–12 pasting at Louisiana Tech and 35–0 shutout at Miami University, bringing the losing streak to 22 games; the team went on to lose five more consecutive games under interim coach Bob LaPointe before the streak was broken with a 9–7 win over Kent State on November 6, 1982.[37] Stock's teams were held scoreless seven times, his teams were outscored by a total of 809 points — nearly 18 points per game, and his final record of 6–38–1 gives him a 14.4% win percentage, easily the lowest of any coach to remain at Eastern more than one season.[5] Stock continued to coach football both at the collegiate level and the professional level, both in the United States Football League and the National Football League, until his retirement following the 2008 NFL season, but this was his only head coaching position.[38][39]

Jim Harkema era (1983–1992)

Coach Jim Harkema came to EMU from Grand Valley State and lead EMU to four consecutive winning seasons from 1986 to 1989,[40] including Eastern's only MAC championship in 1987, when the team went to the 1987 California Bowl and upset 17½ point favorite San Jose State for the only bowl game win in school history until the 2022 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, when they again beat San Jose State. The 1988 and 1989 teams each finished in second place in the conference. Harkema's teams struggled from 1990 to 1992, and Harkema was fired after an 0–4 start to the 1992 season after 2–9 and 3–7–1 campaigns in 1990 and 1991.[41]

Eastern Michigan University ended the use of the Huron logo in 1991

In October 1988, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights issued a report suggesting that all schools using Native American logos or imagery should drop them. An EMU committee considered the change and recommended three possible replacement nicknames, Eagles, Green Hornets, and Express, from which the Board of Regents voted to accept the nickname "Eagles". The change became official on May 22, 1991. The controversy over the nickname continues to this day, as many former students and faculty were angered that a unique name like Hurons was replaced by a common name like Eagles, and many alumni have refused to donate money to the school until the name Hurons is restored. An official chapter of the EMU Alumni Association, the Huron Restoration Chapter, seeks to bring back the name and claims to have the support of Chief Leaford Bearskin of the Wyandot Tribe of Oklahoma and former Grand Chief Max Gros-Louis of the Huron-Wendat Nation of Quebec.[42]

Ron Cooper era (1993–1994)

Next, EMU turned to a young, up-and-coming assistant coach to right the ship. Ron Cooper was hired as EMU's head coach.[43] Cooper had been an assistant at Notre Dame and Minnesota under head coach Lou Holtz.[43][44] Cooper had also been an assistant at East Carolina and UNLV.[43][45] Cooper's Eagles compiled a 4–7 mark in 1993 and a 5–6 record in 1995.[46] Cooper left EMU after two seasons to accept the position of head football coach at Louisville.[47]

Rick Rasnick era (1995–1999)

On January 3, 1995, Utah offensive coordinator Rick Rasnick was interviewed by Eastern Michigan,[48] and the following day he was hired as head coach[49] with a five-year contract.[50] Rasnick brought a more open, pass-oriented offense to Eastern Michigan than his predecessor, Ron Cooper had used. Rasnick's offense featured Charlie Batch as quarterback in 1995 and 1997 (Batch sat out 1996 with an injury).[51]

During his time at EMU, Rasnick's recruiting noticeably favored junior-college transfers rather than high school seniors.[52] On November 16, 1999, three days after a 29–26 loss at Central Michigan,[53] Eastern Michigan Athletic Director Dave Diles held a press conference to announce that he had fired Rasnick as head coach.[54]

Jeff Woodruff era (2000–2003)

Dave Diles, Jr. fired Woodruff, saying, "Jeff Woodruff has helped develop our program with quality young men, but the team is not on the competitive level that we felt should be after four years."[57]

Jeff Genyk era (2004–2008)

In 2004, EMU hired Northwestern quarterbacks coach Jeff Genyk as head coach.[58] In his first season, 2004, Genyk helped lead EMU to a 4–4 Mid-American Conference record, the best record since the 1999 squad went 4–4 in Mid-American Conference play, and a 4–7 overall record.[59] In addition, Genyk directed the Eagles to the Michigan MAC championship with wins over both in-state league rivals, Western Michigan and Central Michigan, for the first time since the 1986 season.

The 2005 season, Jeff Genyk's second as head coach, saw limited improvement as the Eagles finished with a 4–7 overall record (the same as 2004) and a 3–5 MAC mark. However, that final record could just as easily have been 6–5, 7–4, or even 8–3, as the Eagles dropped two one-point games (Miami University, Ball State), one two-point game (at Cincinnati), and one eight-point game (Western Michigan).[60] In 2006, EMU had just one win, the homecoming game against Toledo. Once again, the total could have been a lot higher, with six losses coming only by one possession. They lost two games by 8 (at Northwestern, at Kent State), one game in overtime by 7 (Central Michigan), one game by 6 (Ohio), and two games by 3 (at Bowling Green, at Western Michigan).[61]

After tallying a 3–9 record during the 2008 campaign and going 16–42 overall during his five years at the helm, Genyk was fired.[62] He coached the season's final game against Central Michigan, a 56–52 upset.

Ron English era (2009–2013)

Coach Ron English

Following Genyk's firing, Ron English, former defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan and the University of Louisville, was named head coach of the Eastern Michigan football program.[63] At the time of his hiring, English was one of five African American head coaches in major college football; the others were Kansas's Turner Gill, Miami's Randy Shannon, Houston's Kevin Sumlin, New Mexico's Mike Locksley;.[64] Mike Haywood became the sixth when Miami University (Ohio) hired him just days later.[65] Although his hiring brought a lot of excitement to the program, he failed to capitalize in his first season, leading the team to an 0–12 record, the first winless season for EMU since 1981. Despite English's background as a defensive coach, the team allowed an average of more than 38 points per game, losing 10 games by double-digit margins, 6 of them by more than 20 points.

English was abruptly fired with three games to go in the 2014 season.[66] Less than 24 hours before the Eagles' game against Western Michigan, athletic director Heather Lyke obtained a tape of an obscenity-laced tirade English delivered to his secondary while reviewing film in October. The screed included at least one homophobic slur. Lyke said that English's language was "wholly inappropriate," and not acceptable in a student setting. English later apologized for what he described as a loss of poise.[67]

Chris Creighton era (2014–present)

On December 23, 2013, Drake head coach Chris Creighton was hired as English's replacement.[68] In his first season with the Eagles, they finished 2–10 and last in the Mid-American Conference. In his second season, they finished 1–11 with no conference wins, the first time since 2009. In his third season, the Eagles finished the regular season 7–5 (a six-game turnaround) while qualifying for the Bahamas Bowl, the first bowl game for the program in 29 years. Eastern Michigan lost to Old Dominion, 24–20. On March 1, 2017, the Eastern Michigan athletics office announced a proposed plan for athletic facilities upgrades, including a new building that can be utilized for indoor practice sessions. The new facility is anticipated to be approximately 70,000 square feet, utilize a turf playing surface, improved weight room, as well as the addition of up to ten suites facing the stadium. A new scoreboard inside of Rynearson Stadium would also be added.[69] In 2018, Creighton's fifth season, Eastern Michigan became bowl eligible once again with a 27–7 win over Akron. In eight quarters of play, including that game and a week earlier vs. Central Michigan, the EMU defense did not allow a single offensive score by their opponents.[citation needed] Creighton and the Eagles pulled road upsets of Big Ten Conference teams 3 consecutive years, from 2017 to 2019, with wins over Rutgers, Purdue, and Illinois. On September 17, 2022, Eastern Michigan defeated Arizona State, 30–21, in their first win over a Pac-12 Conference opponent.

Conference affiliations

EMU has been a member of the following conferences.[70]

Conference championships

The Eagles have won 10 conference titles.[71]: 160–168 

Year Conference Coach Record Conference Record
1896 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Fred W. Green 4–1 2–0
1925 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Elton Rynearson 8–0 5–0
1927 Michigan Collegiate Conference Elton Rynearson 8–0 3–0
1928 Michigan Collegiate Conference Elton Rynearson 7–1 3–0
1929† Michigan Collegiate Conference Elton Rynearson 5–1–2 2–0–1
1930 Michigan Collegiate Conference Elton Rynearson 6–1 3–0
1954†
Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
 Fred Trosko 8–1 5–1
1955† Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Fred Trosko 7–2 5–1
1957 Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Fred Trosko 6–3 6–0
1987 Mid-American Conference Jim Harkema 10–2 7–1

† Co-champions

Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

1892 Michigan State Normal football team

Michigan State Normal College was admitted to the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1892. Although the conference did not recognize football as an official sport until 1894, teams within the conference competed with each other as early as 1891.[4] MSNC's first game against an MIAA opponent was a 30–10 victory over Albion College on November 2, 1892.[72] In 1896, MSNC won their MIAA games by a combined score of 70–0, earning them the conference championship.[72][73] Despite an undefeated season in 1906,[74] the conference championship was won by Olivet College, whose team played, and won, more conference games.[73] In 1925, with the return of Rynearson as coach, the team achieved another undefeated season and again took the MIAA championship,[73] before leaving the conference a year later.

Michigan Collegiate Conference

Michigan State Normal College dominated the brief history of the Michigan Collegiate Conference (which consisted of MSNC, Central Michigan University, and Western Michigan University), winning the conference championships in each of the four seasons (1927, 1928, 1929, and 1930) it lasted,[1] including an undefeated season in 1927. The team was never defeated in Michigan Collegiate Conference play. This marked what remains one of the most successful periods in the history of the team.

Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

In twelve seasons in the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Eastern Michigan won three championships: in 1954, in 1955, and in 1957.[1] All came under the leadership of head coach Fred Trosko.

Mid-American Conference

In 1987, Eastern won its only Mid-American Conference championship, marking the high point of four consecutive winning seasons, and the completion of a turnaround from the school's 27-game losing streak earlier in the decade.[1]

Bowl games

Eastern Michigan has participated in seven bowl games. In 1971 as a Division II school in their last season as an independent team, Eastern Michigan went 7–0–2 in the regular season, before losing 3–14 to Louisiana Tech in the Pioneer Bowl in Wichita Falls, Texas.[75] In 1987, following the school's only MAC championship, and their first in any conference in 30 years, the team went on to upset 17½ point favorite San Jose State University in the California Bowl in Fresno, California, for the first bowl game win in school history.[76] In 2016, the Eagles participated in the Bahamas Bowl after finishing the regular season 7–5, their most wins in a season since 1989 when they also had 7 victories.[77] In 2022, Eastern played San Jose State again in the 2022 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Despite being down early, a blocked extra point returned for 2 points turned the game around for an EMU victory, 41–27.[78]

Year Bowl Opponent Result
1971 Pioneer Bowl Louisiana Tech L 3–14
1987 California Bowl San Jose State W 30–27
2016 Bahamas Bowl Old Dominion L 20–24
2018 Camellia Bowl Georgia Southern L 21–23
2019 Quick Lane Bowl Pittsburgh L 30–34
2021 LendingTree Bowl Liberty L 20–56
2022 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl San Jose State W 41–27
2023 68 Ventures Bowl South Alabama L 10–59

Head coaches

Main article: List of Eastern Michigan Eagles head football coaches

Many of EMU's head coaches have had brief tenures with the program; 18 head coaches served for one season or less.[5] Among the more notable head coaches at EMU have been Clayton Teetzel (1900–1902), Henry Schulte (1906–1908), Elton Rynearson (1917, 1919–1920, 1925–1948), Fred Trosko (1952–1964), Dan Boisture (1967–1973), George Mans (1974–75), Mike Stock (1978–1982), Jim Harkema (1983–1992), Rick Rasnick (1995–1999), Jeff Woodruff (2000–2003), Jeff Genyk (2004–2008), and Ron English (2009–2013). Rynearson was the longest-serving and winningest coach, with a record of 114-58-15 over 26 seasons, while Vern Bennett (1894) posted the highest winning percentage, 71.4%. Tony Lombardi was the shortest-tenured coach, leading the team only for the final game of the 1999 season.[71]: 177 [79]

No. Coach Years Record Pct.
1 James M. Swift 1891 0–2 .000
2 Dean W. Kelley 1892–1892 2–1 .667
3 Ernest P. Goodrich 1893–1893 4–2 .667
4 Verne S. Bennett 1894–1894 5–2 .714
5 Marcus Cutler 1895–1895 3–3 .500
6 Fred W. Green 1896–1896 4–1 .800
7
A. Bird Glaspie
 1897–1897 2–3 .400
8 Enoch C. Thorne 1898–1898 1–5–2 .250
9 Dwight Watson 1899–1899 1–1–1 .500
10 Clayton T. Teetzel 1900–1902 4–14–1 .237
11 Hunter Forest 1903–1903 4–4 .500
12 Daniel H. Lawrence 1904–1905 10–6 .625
13 Henry F. Schulte 1906–1908 9–6–1 .594
14 Clare Hunter 1909 2–4 .333
15 Curry Hicks 1910 0–5–1 .083
16 Dwight Wilson 1911 3–4 .429
17 Leroy Brown 1912–1913 6–5–2 .538
18 Thomas Ransom 1914 3–2–1 .583
19 Elmer Mitchell 1915–1916 5–4–2 .545
20 Elton Rynearson 1917, 1919–1920, 1925–1948 114–58–15 .650
21 Lynn Bell 1918 1–2 .333
22 Joseph McCulloch 1921–1922 6–5–2 .538
23 James M. Brown 1923–1924 4–10–2 .313
24 Harry Ockerman 1949–1951 7–19 .269
25 Fred Trosko 1952–1964 50–56–4 .473
26 Jerry Raymond 1965–1966 8–7–2 .529
27 Dan Boisture 1967–1973 45–20–3 .684
28 George Mans 1974–1975 8–12–1 .405
29 Ed Chlebek 1976–1977 10–12 .455
30 Mike Stock 1978–1982 6–38–1 .144
31 Bob LaPointe 1982 1–6–1 .188
32 Jim Harkema 1983–1992 41–57–5 .422
33 Jan Quarless 1992 1–6 .143
34 Ron Cooper 1993–1994 9–13 .409
35 Rick Rasnick 1995–1999 20–34 .370
36 Tony Lombardi 1999 0–1 .000
37 Jeff Woodruff 2000–2003 9–34 .209
38 Al Lavan 2003 2–1 .667
39 Jeff Genyk 2004–2008 16–42 .276
40 Ron English 2009–2013 11–46 .193
41 Stan Parrish 2013 1–2 .333
42 Chris Creighton 2014–present 52–68 .433

Facilities

See also: Rynearson Stadium
Rynearson Stadium in 2007

Around mid-century, Eastern Michigan played its home games at a small field near the corner of Oakwood and Washtenaw, just west of

McKenny Union.[25] In 1969, the university constructed Rynearson Stadium, named for former coach Elton Rynearson. With a 30,200 person seating capacity, Rynearson Stadium is among the smallest to host an FBS team; the largest attendance at an EMU game at Rynearson was 25,009, on September 16, 1995, for a 51–6 win over UNLV. Rynearson is one of only two stadiums in the Mid-American Conference with a track around the football field. Lighting was added to the stadium in 1974, and the playing surface has been FieldTurf since 2005. The second and current FieldTurf surface, a gray surface, was installed in 2014. This made Rynearson Stadium only the second FBS venue with a non-traditional field color, after the famous blue surface of Albertsons Stadium at Boise State. Two EMU games at Rynearson have been sell-outs: a 24–31 loss to Western Michigan on October 22, 1988, drew 23,003 (listed capacity at the time was 22,227), and a 0–0 tie against Eastern Kentucky on October 16, 1971, drew 17,360 (capacity was 15,500).[26]

In late 2009, Eastern Michigan University broke ground on an indoor practice facility, which was completed that academic year. In addition to being used for football practices, the air-supported structure is used by Eastern Michigan's soccer, baseball, softball, and golf programs. This is one of only three such air-supported facilities used by Football Bowl Subdivision programs. According to then-Athletic Director Derrick Gragg a traditionally constructed facility of the same size would have cost approximately five times more.[80]

Rivalries

Central Michigan

Main article: Central Michigan–Eastern Michigan football rivalry

Central Michigan holds a 62–30–6 lead in the series as of 2020.

Michigan MAC Trophy

Main article: Michigan MAC Trophy

Eastern Michigan participates in one trophy series, the Michigan MAC Trophy, against the Central Michigan Chippewas and Western Michigan Broncos. Since the Michigan MAC Trophy was created in 2005, Eastern Michigan has won it four times, sweeping the series in 2007,[81] and retaining it in 2008 when all three schools went 1–1 in the round robin series. After defeating both Central and Western in 2011, Eastern reclaimed the trophy, tying them with Central Michigan for the most Michigan MAC championships in the series. Again during the 2012 season, all three teams went 1–1 in the round robin series, and EMU again retained the trophy.

Pro Football Hall of Fame

See also: Pro Football Hall of Fame

One former Eastern Michigan alumnus has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[82][83]

Name Position Inducted
George Allen Head coach 2006

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of June 14, 2023.[84]

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032
Howard at UMass at Texas State San Jose State San Diego State at Indiana at San Jose State at Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee
at Minnesota at Washington LIU at Michigan State at Georgia Southern Georgia Southern
UMass Jacksonville State at Kentucky Lindenwood
at Jacksonville State Saint Francis Louisiana

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Eastern Michigan Conference Championships". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on July 24, 2008. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  2. ^ "Colors - Division of Communications". Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "Fred Trosko Records by Year". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
  4. ^ a b "America's Oldest Collegiate Conference". Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Archived from the original on September 13, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2010. In 1889, at the second annual MIAA Field Day, Albion and Olivet engaged in an exhibition "football match." In 1891 Albion defeated Hillsdale at Hillsdale 36–4 in the first intercollegiate football game in the MIAA, but it wasn't until 1894 that football was recognized as an official league sport.
  5. ^ a b c d "Eastern Michigan Coaching Records". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 15, 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  6. ^ a b Bien, Laura (April 14, 2010). "From the Archives: Smallpox sweeps over Eastern Michigan campus". Ypsilanti Courier. Heritage Newspapers. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved April 15, 2010. When the 1916 Normal College (EMU) football season was cut short in October, it wasn't due to injuries, or lack of funds, or academic suspensions...The November 3, 1916 Toronto World said, "Coach Mitchell and four members of the Ypsilanti Normal College football eleven were stricken with smallpox yesterday . . . The illness of the athletes was diagnosed last night . . . Ypsilanti Normal played the University of Detroit last Saturday. Reports from Detroit today said that none of the university's players were ill."
  7. ^ "Eastern Michigan Yearly Results 1915–1919". -College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 15, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  8. ^ "Eastern Michigan Yearly Results 1920–1924". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 15, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  9. ^ "Eastern Michigan Yearly Results: 1925–1929". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on January 18, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  10. ^ "Eastern Michigan Yearly Results 1930–1934". -College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 15, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  11. ^ "EMU Traditions: Not Always the Eagles". Eastern Michigan University. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  12. ^ "Eastern Michigan Yearly Results 1945–1949". -College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 15, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  13. ^ "Trosko Named Football Coach". The New York Times. July 16, 1952.
  14. ^ a b c d e "Former Eastern grid coach Trosko dies". Ludington Daily News. February 11, 1999.
  15. ^ a b "Trosko Quits at Eastern". The Owosso Argus-Press. August 11, 1965.
  16. ^ "EMU Athletic Hall of Fame". Eastern Michigan University.
  17. ^ Shafer, Ian. "Eastern Michigan University (All seasons results)". College Football Reference. Archived from the original on July 26, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  18. ^ DeLassus, David. "Eastern Michigan Coaching Records". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  19. ^ "Boisture New Head Football Coach at Eastern". The Owosso Argus-Press. August 1, 1957.
  20. ^ Slezak, Joe (July 27, 2003). "Athlete follows in family footsteps". The News-Herald. Heritage Newspapers. Retrieved January 25, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  21. ^ "Former EMU football coach Boisture, two administrative secretaries die". Focus EMU Online. Eastern Michigan University. June 12, 2007. Archived from the original on May 29, 2010. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  22. ^ "Pioneer Bowl:East. Michigan vs. Louisiana Tech" (PDF). NCAA News. December 1, 1971. p. 5. Retrieved April 23, 2010.[permanent dead link]
  23. ^ "Dan Boisture Records by Year". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  24. ^ "Wheels Name Dan Boisture". Panama City News-Herald (UPI story). February 9, 1974.
  25. ^ a b "When Lions Stalked the Streets of Ypsilanti". Ypsilanti Gleanings. Ypsilanti Historical Society. 2010. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  26. ^ a b "Eastern Michigan University 2008 Media Guide" (PDF). p. 138. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  27. ^ Demos, Constantine (May 20, 2007). "Former Spartan Assistant Coach Dan Boisture Dies". Michigan State University Football Players Association. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  28. ^ "Big Wheel: WFL Wheels sign EMU coach". Daily Capital News (AP story). February 9, 1974.
  29. ^ "Mans' New Job". Dunkirk Evening Observer (UPI story). February 28, 1974. p. 23.
  30. ^ "Northern Michigan has eye on playoff spot". Record-Eagle. November 14, 1975.
  31. ^ "untitled". The Capital, Annapolis, Maryland (AP story). May 19, 1976. p. 56.
  32. ^ "Ed Chlebeck Named Grid Coach At EMU". The Daily Telegram (Adrian, Michigan). June 9, 1975. p. 6.
  33. ^ "Mans Resigns EMU Post". The Daily Telegram (Adrian, MI). May 19, 1976. p. 10.
  34. ^ "Ed Chlebek Coaching Record | College Football at Sports-Reference.com". Archived from the original on April 5, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  35. ^ "The Heights 1 February 1980 — Boston College". newspapers.bc.edu.
  36. ^ "27-Game Slide Finally Ends". The New York Times. November 7, 1982.
  37. ^ "Eastern Michigan Yearly Results 1980–1984". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 15, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  38. ^ "Mike Stock". Green Bay Packers. 2008. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  39. ^ Seifert, Kevin (January 26, 2009). "Hot stove: Green Bay Packers". ESPN. Retrieved April 22, 2010. Coaching changes:...Special teams coordinator Mike Stock retired.
  40. ^ "Eastern Michigan Yearly Results 1985–1989". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
  41. ^ "Jim Harkema to be Special Guest at EMU Football Golf Outing". www.emueagles.com.
  42. ^ "Huron Restoration Chapter". Retrieved September 18, 2009.
  43. ^ a b c "Ron Cooper Bio - GoUSFBulls.com—Official Athletics Web Site of the University of South Florida". Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  44. ^ "GamecocksOnline.com - South Carolina Gamecocks Official Athletic Site Official Athletic Site of the South Carolina Gamecocks - Football". Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  45. ^ "Ron Cooper Bio". Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  46. ^ "Ron Cooper Coaching Record | College Football at Sports-Reference.com". Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  47. ^ Lintner, Jonathan. "Former U of L coach Ron Cooper hired by FIU". The Courier-Journal.
  48. ^ "U. assistant Rasnick to interview at EMU", Deseret News, January 3, 1995, retrieved January 23, 2011
  49. ^ Rasnick relieved of duties, Eastern Michigan University Athletics, November 16, 1999, archived from the original on January 16, 2001, retrieved January 21, 2011
  50. ^ "College football notebook", Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, December 16, 1999, retrieved January 23, 2011
  51. ^ Kovacevic, Dejan (November 26, 1998), "Homestead cheers native son Batch", Homestead Post-Gazette, retrieved January 23, 2011, The next year [1994], finally on the football field again, Batch discovered that his coach, Ron Cooper, had a distaste for passing the ball, meaning he would mostly sit on the bench. But in 1995, Rick Rasnick took over on the Eastern sideline and brought with him a wide-open offense. And, just as he had at Steel Valley, Batch succeeded with his first opportunity, earning all-conference honors and being named his team's offensive MVP. A broken ankle forced him to sit out all of the next season, but in 1997, the NCAA granted him a rare extra year of playing eligibility in his sixth year of college. He knew it would be his one last chance to impress professional scouts, and he made the most of it, setting the school's season and career records.
  52. ^ "2004 MAC Football Recruiting - Eastern Michigan Eagles", VanDelaySports.com, archived from the original on July 17, 2011, retrieved January 23, 2011, The Eagles have 13 players from the metro-Detroit area, which is much different philosophy than the recruiting efforts of the previous coach Jeff Woodruff, or his predecessor, Rick Rasnick, who preferred JUCOs.
  53. Central Michigan Life, archived from the original
    on July 22, 2011, retrieved January 23, 2011
  54. ^ "Eastern Michigan Fires Rasnick". CBS News. 1999. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
  55. ^ "EMU: Press Releases". www.emich.edu. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  56. ^ "Jeff Woodruff Coaching Record | College Football at Sports-Reference.com". Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  57. ^ "Eastern Michigan fires football coach Jeff Woodruff". The Daily Sentinel. November 4, 2003. p. B6. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  58. ^ "USATODAY.com - Eastern Michigan hires Northwestern assistant Genyk". usatoday30.usatoday.com.
  59. ^ "Jeff Genyk Records by Year". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  60. ^ "Eastern Michigan Yearly Results: 2005-09". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 15, 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  61. ^ "Eastern Michigan Yearly Results 2005–2009". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 15, 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  62. ^ "Eastern Michigan Fires Coach Jeff Genyk". November 24, 2008. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  63. ^ "English installed as new Eastern Michigan coach". December 22, 2008.
  64. ^ "Sources: English to be announced as EMU coach". ESPN. December 22, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2010. English would become just the fifth African-American head coach among the 119 Football Bowl Subdivision schools.
  65. ^ "Notre Dame Aide to Coach Miami of Ohio". The New York Times. December 23, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2010. Haywood became the sixth African-American coach among the 119 Football Bowl Subdivision members and joined a program known as the Cradle of Coaches. Haywood, 44, became the second black head coach hired by a Mid-American Conference university this week. Eastern Michigan hired Ron English, the former Louisville and Michigan defensive coordinator, on Monday. The other black coaches in the F.B.S. are Buffalo's Turner Gill, Miami's Randy Shannon, Houston's Kevin Sumlin and New Mexico's Mike Locksley.
  66. ^ "Eastern Michigan fires head coach Ron English for using 'inappropriate language'".
  67. ^ Fired Ron English: 'I lost my poise'. ESPN, November 9, 2013.
  68. ^ "Creighton tabbed as new coach at E. Michigan". ESPN.com. December 12, 2013.
  69. ^ "Facilities upgrade announcement". Freep.com. 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  70. ^ "2017 EMU Media Guide" (PDF). emueagles.com. EMU Athletics. pp. 160–171. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  71. ^ a b "2017 Eastern Michigan Football Media Guide" (PDF). emueagles.com. Eastern Michigan Athletics. 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  72. ^ a b "Eastern Michigan Yearly Results 1891–1894". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 15, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  73. ^ a b c "Football All-Time Champions". Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Archived from the original on November 27, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  74. ^ "Eastern Michigan Yearly Results 1905–1909". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 15, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  75. ^ "Eastern Michigan Yearly Results: 1970–1974". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 15, 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
  76. ^ "Eastern Michigan Bowl History". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  77. ^ Folsom, Brandon. "Eastern Michigan headed to Bahamas Bowl, will face Old Dominion". Detroit Free Press.
  78. ^ "E. Michigan beats San Jose St. in Famous Idaho Potato Bowl". ESPN.com.
  79. ^ "Eastern Michigan Eagles Coaches". College Football at Sports-Reference.com.
  80. ^ Arnold, Jeff (October 20, 2009). "Eastern Michigan breaks ground on $3.9 million indoor practice facility". AnnArbor.com. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  81. ^ "EMU Wins Michigan MAC Trophy in 48-45 Shootout With the Chippewas". November 16, 2007. Retrieved April 21, 2010. The win also gave the Eagles possession of the Michigan MAC Trophy, sponsored by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, which goes annually to the team with the best record in games involving EMU-CMU and Western Michigan. Eastern was 2-0 while CMU was 1-1 and WMU 0-2.
  82. ^ "Pro Football Hall of Famers". www.profootballhof.com. Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  83. ^ "George Allen - Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site". www.profootballhof.com.
  84. ^ "Eastern Michigan Eagles Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved June 14, 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Eastern Michigan Eagles football.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eastern_Michigan_Eagles_football&oldid=1209425536"