(PURDUE RELEASE)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue head football coach Jeff Brohm announced that Ron English has been added to his coaching staff as the cornerbacks coach. In over 20 years on the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level, English has coached in 12 bowl games, including three Rose Bowls and three New Year's Six bowls.
"We are very pleased to have Ron join our coaching staff," Brohm said. "He has experience as a head coach, defensive coordinator and as an assistant on the highest levels of football across the country. We are excited to have his expertise and knowledge."
English joins the Boilermakers after spending the last three seasons (2018-20) as the safeties coach at Florida. During his time in Gainesville, the Gators appeared in three consecutive New Year's Six bowl games, winning the 2018 Peach Bowl and the 2019 Orange Bowl. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who now plays with New Orleans Saints, was named the Peach Bowl MVP under English's guide.
In 2019, Florida finished tied for ninth in the FBS with 16 interceptions. UF's Shawn Davis, Kaiir Elam, Donovan Stiner and Marco Wilson were just one of two quartets in the nation with at least three picks individually on the season (also Florida Atlantic). Stiner led Florida with four interceptions, while Elam was merely one of seven true freshman to have three interceptions on the FBS level.
In his first season at UF, English helped improve the Gators' defensive numbers across the board, including going from three fumbles recovered in 2017 to 12 in 2018, from three fumbles forced in 2017 to 11 in 2018 and lowering the scoring defense from 27.3 points per game in 2017 to 20.0 in 2018.
Prior to Florida, English was the safeties coach at Mississippi State for one season (2017). The Bulldogs went 9-4 and beat Louisville in the TaxSlayer Bowl where English served as MSU's defensive coordinator for the game. State finished 19th in the final Associated Press Poll of the year.
The Bulldogs returned an interception for a touchdown in three straight games in English's lone season in Starkville, and finished fourth in the Southeastern Conference in pass defense (175.0 yards per game) and third in the SEC in total defense (302.0 yards per game). MSU allowed merely 20.4 points per game in 2017.
English served as San Jose State's defensive coordinator for a season in 2016, with the Spartans finishing fourth in the Mountain West Conference in pass defense (188.6 yards per game), first in third-down conversion defense (37.6 percent), fifth in interceptions (10) and fourth in turnovers forced (19).
For five seasons (2009-13), English was the head coach at Eastern Michigan. In 2011, he guided the Eagles to their best record in 15 years, finishing 6-6 and 4-4 in the Mid-American Conference. English was named the MAC Coach of the Year that season.
English was the defensive coordinator for a year at Louisville (2008), spending time on the same staff as Brohm, who was the Cardinals' offensive coordinator.
Prior to Louisville, English served at Michigan for five season (2003-07), spending three seasons (2003-05) as the defensive backs coach and the final two years (2006-07) as the Wolverines' defensive coordinator. Michigan finished the 2007 season eighth in the nation in pass defense, which helped English to be nominated for the Broyles Award, presented annually to the nation's top assistant coach.
During his time in Ann Arbor, English was named the Rivals Defensive Coordinator of the Year (2006) and a Rivals top 25 recruiter (2006), all while helping guide Michigan to three Rose Bowl appearances (2004, 2005 and 2007). In 2004, he became the first coach to have two All-American defensive backs in the same season (cornerback Marlin Jackson and safety Ernest Shazor). Michigan led the nation in fewest touchdown passes allowed (9) in 2003.
English was the secondary coach at Arizona State for five seasons (1998-2002), where the Sun Devils appeared in the 2002 Holiday Bowl and the 1999 and 2000 Aloha Bowls. ASU finished second in the nation in turnovers forced in 2000.
English also spent time at San Diego State (1996-97) and Northern Arizona (1996) as a defensive backs coach.
As a graduate assistant coach at ASU (1994-95), English earned a master's degree in education administration. He began his collegiate coaching career at Mt. San Antonio College (1993) after spending one year as an assistant at Ganesha High School (1992) in California.
A four-year letter winner as a safety at Cal (1987-90), English earned a bachelor's degree in social sciences in 1991, while helping guide the Golden Bears to the 1990 Copper Bowl title. He was named a team captain his senior season.
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