Eastern Michigan Football: A Brief History

Eastern Michigan Eagles:

First Season: 1891

Head Coach: Ron English (3 seasons, 9-37)

All-Time Record: 430-529-47

Bowl Record: 1-1 (Pioneer, California)

Playing Field: Rynearson Stadium (Capacity of 30,200)

Conference Affiliations:

• Independent: 1891-1893, 1926, 1931-1949, 1962-1963, 1966-1975
• Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association: 1894-1925
• Michigan Collegiate Conference: 1927-1930
• Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: 1950-1961
• Presidents' Athletic Conference: 1964-1965
• Mid-American Conference: 1976-Current 

Attendance: 9,608 (5-year average)

Claimed National Titles: None

Conference Titles: 10

• 1896 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
• 1925 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
• 1927 Michigan Collegiate Conference
• 1928 Michigan Collegiate Conference
• 1929 Michigan Collegiate Conference Co-Champions
• 1930 Michigan Collegiate Conference
• 1954 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
• 1955 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
• 1957 Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
• 1987 Mid-American Conference

Trophy Games:

• Michigan MAC Trophy (EMU-CMU-WMU): Won in 2007, 2008, 2011

Record Versus Rivals (20+ meetings):

• Akron: 12-16
• Ball State: 21-31-2
• Bowling Green: 11-24-1
• Central Michigan: 28-56-6
• Kent State: 13-17
• Miami OH: 4-17
• Northern Illinois: 14-27-2
• Ohio: 11-17-1
• Toledo: 11-29
• Western Michigan: 17-29-2

Year-By-Year Record

1890s: 22-20-3

1900s: 31-34-2

1910s: 25-28-7

1920s: 50-20-6

1930s: 49-19-6

1940s: 18-36-6

1950s: 49-37-2

1960s: 35-46-4

1970: 7-2-1

1971: 7-1-2

1972: 6-4

1973: 6-4

1974: 4-6

1975: 4-6

1976: 2-9

1977: 8-3

1978: 3-7

1979: 2-8-7

1980: 1-9

1981: 0-11

1982: 1-9-1

1983: 1-10

1984: 2-7-2

1985: 4-7

1986: 6-5

1987: 10-2

1988: 6-3-1

1989: 7-3-1

1990: 2-9-1

1991: 3-7-1

1992: 1-10

1993: 4-7

1994: 5-6

1995: 6-5

1996: 3-8

1997: 4-7

1998: 3-8

1999: 4-7

2000: 3-8

2001: 2-9

2002: 3-9

2003: 3-9

2004: 4-7

2005: 4-7

2006: 1-11

2007: 4-8

2008: 3-9

2009: 0-12

2010: 2-10

2011: 6-6

2012: 2-10

Coaching/Team History:

The Eastern Michigan Eagles are a program that has been around since the 1890s but never got any real traction as a program until 1917. From 1891-1916, Eastern Michigan saw 20 head coaches come and go through the program with 15 of those coaches staying for a single season with the Eagles.

In 1917, Elton Rynearson led the Eagles for 26 seasons and 187 games with a 114-58-15 overall record. Rynearson led the Eagles to five conference titles including a 26-3-2 record as a member of the Michigan Collegiate Conference with an 8-0 reocrd in 1927. Rynearson coached Eastern Michigan for his final 18 seasons as an independent and unable to win any more conference titles Rynearson was a beloved coach who also led the basketball program for 18 seasons. Rynearson retired after the 1948 seasons giving way to a series of coaches who struggles for the next 7 years with none of the three staying longer than 3 seasons.

In 1952, Eastern Michigan hired former Michgan halfback Fred Trosko who led the program for 13 seasons. Trosko led the Eagles to stability but never brought them back to the levels of Rynearson with a 50-56-4 overall record with the program. Trosko left the program after the 1964 seasons giving way to Jerry Raymond.

Raymond led the Eagles for two seasons with an 8-7-2 overall record with the program including one winning season in 1966. Raymond parted ways with the Eagles after the 1966 season. Needing a replacement for Raymond, the Eagles went after Michigan State assistant Dan Boisture who led the program for 7 seasons, including a trip to the 1971 Poineer Bowl. Boisture had winning seasons in all 7 years and was the second most winning coach in Eastern Michigan history to that point. Boisture left the Eagles to coach in the World Football League after the 1974 season.

After another poor series of seasons involving coaches George Mans (2 seasons, 8-12-1), Ed Chlebek (2 seasons, 10-12), Mike Stock (5 seasons, 6-38-1), and Bob LaPointe (1 season, 1-6-1), Eastern Michigan hired Grand Valley State head coach Jim Harkema to begin the 1983 season.

Harkema inherited a poor team that went 1-10 in his first season before building up to 10 wins in 1987 and a win in the California Bowl over San Jose State. Harkema led the Eagles to two more winning seasons in 1988 and 1989 before falling to losing records in 1990 and 1991. After an 0-4 start to the 1992 season, Harkema resigned with assistant Jan Quarless finishing out the season as head coach. The Eagles went 1-10 in that season.

Needing a new name for the EMU program, the Eagles went after Notre Dame assistant Ron Cooper. Cooper led the Eagles for two short seasons going 9-13 during that time with seventh place finishes in the MAC during both years. Cooper left after the 1994 season to coach the Louisville Cardinals.

With only a select few winning seasons in the last 30 years, Eastern Michigan hired Utah assistant Rick Rasnick to bring the Eagles to new heights that have not been season for EMU in decades. Rasnick took over the program in 1995 leading the Eagles to a winning record at 6-5 in his first year at the helm. Sadly, that was his best year as well going 14-29 during his final 4 years with the Eagles and being released from coaching duties following a 4-6 season in 1999. Assistant Tony Lombardi coached the final game of the seasons, capping the season at 4-7.

Going into a new century on the football field, Eastern Michigan hired JeffWoodruff. Woodruff was a disaster for the Eagles going 9-34 including a 3-8 season in 2000 counting as his best season with the program. Woodruff was fired in the 2003 season with assistant Al Lavan leading the team in the final three games. Lavan went 2-1 and left the Eagles for the Delaware State head coaching job on the FCS level.

Again the Eagles were in need of a head coach and went after Northwestern assistant Jeff Genyk. Genyk coached the program for 5 seasons to a 16-42 overall reocrd with three 4-win seasons, one 3-win season, and one 1-win season. After the 2008 season ended, the Eagles were in need of another coach, firing Genyk.

The Eagles went after Louisville assistant Ron English in 2009. English's team performed poorly in his inaugural season going 0-12. English followed that with a 2-10 season before just missing out on a bowl with a 6-6 record and fourth place finish in the MAC West Division. 2012 saw English's team fall back to earth with another 2-10 season putting English on the hot seat. The Eagles decided to retain English but he remains one more bad loss from being another head coach fired from EMU.

All-Americans:

• 1930 Andy Vanyo
• 1935 Charles Hanneman
• 1954 Bob Middlekauff
• 1968 Garry Grady
• 1968 John Schmidt
• 1969 Robert Lints
• 1970-1971 David Pureifory
• 1973 James Pietrzak
• 1977 Ron Johnson
• 1979 Tom Parm
• 1986-1987 Gary Patton
• 1986 Brett Petersmark
• 1987 Ron Adams
• 1987 Brian Clouse
• 1987 Charles Gordon
• 1998 LJ Shelton
• 2004 Andrew Wellock
• 2005 Daniel Holtzclaw
• 2006 Zach Johnson

NFL/CFL Players:

• George Allen
• Charlie Batch - Quarterback, Detroit Lions 1998-2001, Pittsburgh Steelers 2002-Pres.
• Jason Jones - Defensive End, Tennessee Titans 2008-Pres.
• T.J. Lang - Offensive Lineman, Green Bay Packers 2009-Pres.
• Kevin Walter - Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals 2003-05, Houston Texans 2006-Pres.
• Vashone Adams - Cleveland Browns 1995, Baltimore Ravens 1996
• John Banaszak - Pittsburgh Steelers 1975-81
• Dave Boone - Minnesota Vikings 1974
• Clarence Chapman - New Orleans Saints 1977-79
• Al Clark - Detroit Lions 1971, Los Angeles Rams 1972-75, Philadelphia Eagles 1976
• Carson Dach - New York Giants 2003
• Lional Dalton - DT, Baltimore Ravens 1998–2001, Denver Broncos 2002, Washington Redskins 2003, Kansas City Chiefs 2004-05, Houston Texans 2006
• Al Day - Denver Broncos 1960
• Bill Dulac - New England Patriots 1974-75
• Ron Fernandes - Baltimore Colts 1976-78
• Anthony Fields - Detroit Lions 1987
• Will Foster - New England Patriots 1973-74
• Reggie Garrett - Pittsburgh Steelers 1974-75
• Garry Grady - Miami Dolphins 1969
• Chuck Hanneman - Detroit Lions 1937-41, Cleveland Rams 1941
• Ron Johnson - Pittsburgh Steelers 1978-84
• David Marshall- Cleveland Browns 1984, Miami Dolphins 1987
• Jereme Perry - DB, Cleveland Browns 2006–07
• Brett Petersmark - Houston Oilers 1987
• Jim Pietrzak - New York Giants 1974-79, New Orleans Saints 1979-84, Kansas City Chiefs 1987
• Dave Pureifory - Green Bay Packers 1972-77, Cincinnati Bengals 1978, Detroit Lions 1979-82
• Ron Rice - Detroit Lions 1995-2001
• Chris Roberson - Jacksonville Jaguars 2005-06, Detroit Lions 2008
• L. J. Shelton - Arizona Cardinals 1999-2004, Cleveland Browns 2005, Miami Dolphins 2006-07, San Diego Chargers 2008
• Jason Short - LB, Philadelphia Eagles 2004–06, Cleveland Browns 2007
• Chuck Shonta - Boston Patriots 1960-61
• Barry Stokes - Miami Dolphins 1998, Green Bay Packers 1999, Los Angeles Raiders 2000-01, Cleveland Browns 2002-03, New York Giants 2004, Atlanta Falcons 2005, Detroit Lions 2006-07