Unfortunately most of it came directing the Michigan defense in Ann Arbor — and not leading his own team in Ypsilanti.
With three games left in a losing season, Eastern Michigan fired English as its football coach Friday on the eve of its home game against intrastate rival Western Michigan. The Eagles (1-8, 0-5 Mid-American Conference) have lost eight straight games by an average score of 48-18.
English, in the final season of a five-year contract, went 11-46 and 7-30 in the MAC in four-plus seasons. He has won more than two games only once at EMU — in 2011, when the Eagles went 6-6.
"At this time, I have decided that a change in the leadership of our football team is necessary," EMU athletic director Heather Lyke said in a statement. "Eastern Michigan University's commitment to our student-athletes remain of the utmost importance as we move forward with the rest of this season and in selecting the new leader of our program."
Lyke also announced that first-year offensive coordinator Stan Parrish will serve as interim coach. Parrish, also the quarterbacks coach, spent six years as a U-M assistant, including 2000-01 as offensive coordinator. Parrish is 63-60-3 in 13 seasons as a head coach at Wabash (1978-82), Marshall (1984-85), Kansas State (1986-88) and Ball State (2008-10).
Lyke noted in a school release that a national search for a coach would begin immediately and that EMU would have no further comment until the position was filled. English did not answer his cell phone Friday.
It has been a difficult season for EMU. On Oct. 18, Demarius Reed, a receiver from Chicago, was fatally shot at an off-campus apartment building in Ypsilanti. Police have said the killing might have started as robbery attempt. No suspects have been arrested.
WMU will wear the No. 2 — Reed's number — on its helmets in today's 1 p.m. game at Rynearson Stadium.
"This has been an extraordinarily challenging year for our football student-athletes and they have continued to represent Eastern with pride and professionalism," EMU president Susan Martin said in a statement. "At this time of transition, it is important that Eastern Michigan fans and alumni everywhere continue to show their support for our student-athletes."
English, 45, also served as defensive coordinator this season after Phil Snow left following 2012 to take the same job at Temple.
English served on Lloyd Carr's staff at U-M for five seasons (2003-07). He was the Wolverines' defensive coordinator his last two seasons and the 2006 team led the nation in rushing defense. After Carr's retirement, new U-M coach Rich Rodriguez fired English. English spent 2008 as Louisville's defensive coordinator.
After the 2008 season, EMU fired coach Jeff Genyk, who went 16-42 in five seasons, and hired Carr as an unpaid search consultant to EMU athletic director Derrick Gragg.
English promised to "change the culture" when he was hired in December 2008 to take over a program coming off its 13th straight losing season. However, that was easier said than done as the Eagles went 0-12 in English's first season and lost their first 18 games in his tenure. The program took a step forward with a .500 record in 2011 only to fall back to 2-10 last season.
Under the terms of his contract, if the university fired English without cause — no reason for his dismissal was announced — EMU will owe him only his remaining base salary for this year. English's salary is $349,937. His contract states that he gets paid twice a month, so if he has not been given his first payment for November, EMU owes him $58,323 (four payments at $14,580.75).
English's contract did not contain bonuses for academic achievement. The team's most recent Academic Progress Rate number was 934, which ranked 10th among 13 MAC teams. Its most recent NCAA Graduation Success Rate number was 59, which tied for ninth in the conference. The team's most recent four-class federal grad rate was 43%.
