Eastern Michigan Athletics
Darren Paige Named EMU Football Assistant Coach
2/1/2019 12:09:00 PM | Football
The Rossford, Ohio native will serve as the wide receivers coach
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Darren Paige, the wide receivers coach at Stony Brook University for the past year, has been named an assistant football coach at Eastern Michigan University, Head Coach Chris Creighton announced today, Feb. 1. Paige will serve as EMU's wide receivers coach.
"When his professional playing career was over, Darren Paige worked as a social worker as he wanted to make a difference in young peoples lives," Creighton said. "A friend talked him into combining that calling with his passion for football and coaching has been his thing ever since. He has a contagious energy and a desire to make his group the best in American. We are fired up about getting started."
Paige has mentored wide receivers for the past eight seasons most recently with a stop at Stony Brook University during the 2018 campaign. In his one season with the Seawolves, he helped SBU earned the program's fourth NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoff appearance. The wide receiving corps hauled in 161 catches for 2,050 yards and 17 touchdowns, led by Julius Wingate who averaged 14 yards per catch.
Prior to his arrival at Stony Brook, Paige had a one-year stint as the wide receivers coach at the College of the Holy Cross. In 2017, Paige helped Blaise Bell earn Second Team All-Patriot League honors after the junior wide receiver led the Crusaders with 46 receptions for 601 yards and eight touchdowns. As a team, Holy Cross finished second in the Patriot League in Passing Offense as it averaged 254 passing yards per game.
Paige spent the summer of 2017 with the NFL's Tennessee Titans as part of the Bill Walsh Minority Fellowship Program.
From 2013-16, he served as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Mustangs went 31-12 during Paige's four years on the staff, while advancing to the NCAA Division II playoffs in 2015 and 2016. In 2015, Midwestern State earned the No. 1 seed in Region 4 after winning the Lone Star Conference Playoff. During Paige's tenure, the Mustangs averaged at least 30 points and 400 yards of total offense per game each season. His players earned all-conference honors six times, including DeAndre Black, who was named a Second Team All-American in 2016.
Prior to his time at Midwestern State, Paige served as an offensive graduate assistant coach at Mid-American Conference foe Kent State University during the 2012 season, working with the wide receivers. He helped the Golden Flashes to an overall record of 11-3 and the 2012 MAC East Division Championship. The team's 11 wins and 10-game win streak were both program records. On an individual level, Dri Archer was named a First Team All-American as a kick returner and a Third Team All-American as an all-purpose player. Archer was selected in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Paige also coached the wide receivers at Gannon University in Erie, Pa. in 2011 and was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Haines City (Fla.) High School in 2009.
The former collegiate standout also enjoyed a two-year professional career (2008-09) with the Peoria Pirates of the Arena Football League 2 (AF2), seeing action in 20 games. In his second season, he hauled in 63 passes for 663 yards and nine touchdowns while returning 34 kickoffs for 678 yards and another score. In all, Paige accounted for 1,344 all-purpose yards while making 15 tackles on defense to garnered mention as Peoria's Iron Man of the Year.
He earned an invitation to the Canadian Football League's Calgary Stampeders mini-camp in 2009 and participated in training camp for the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League in 2010.
Paige began his collegiate career at Miami University, playing in seven games as a "true" freshman in 2003. He then transferred to the University of Findlay for three seasons (2005-07). He led the Oilers in receptions and receiving yards all three seasons, totaling 117 catches for 1,461 yards and eight touchdowns.
The Rossford, Ohio native earned Ohio High School Division IV Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior. He also played in the Ohio-Pennsylvania Big 33 All-Star Game and the Ohio North-South All-Star Game.
Paige graduated from Findlay in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in social work and completed his master's degree at Kent State in 2013.
Paige and his wife, Amanda, have one son, Brandon "Zek", who was born in July 2018.
"When his professional playing career was over, Darren Paige worked as a social worker as he wanted to make a difference in young peoples lives," Creighton said. "A friend talked him into combining that calling with his passion for football and coaching has been his thing ever since. He has a contagious energy and a desire to make his group the best in American. We are fired up about getting started."
Paige has mentored wide receivers for the past eight seasons most recently with a stop at Stony Brook University during the 2018 campaign. In his one season with the Seawolves, he helped SBU earned the program's fourth NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoff appearance. The wide receiving corps hauled in 161 catches for 2,050 yards and 17 touchdowns, led by Julius Wingate who averaged 14 yards per catch.
Prior to his arrival at Stony Brook, Paige had a one-year stint as the wide receivers coach at the College of the Holy Cross. In 2017, Paige helped Blaise Bell earn Second Team All-Patriot League honors after the junior wide receiver led the Crusaders with 46 receptions for 601 yards and eight touchdowns. As a team, Holy Cross finished second in the Patriot League in Passing Offense as it averaged 254 passing yards per game.
Paige spent the summer of 2017 with the NFL's Tennessee Titans as part of the Bill Walsh Minority Fellowship Program.
From 2013-16, he served as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Mustangs went 31-12 during Paige's four years on the staff, while advancing to the NCAA Division II playoffs in 2015 and 2016. In 2015, Midwestern State earned the No. 1 seed in Region 4 after winning the Lone Star Conference Playoff. During Paige's tenure, the Mustangs averaged at least 30 points and 400 yards of total offense per game each season. His players earned all-conference honors six times, including DeAndre Black, who was named a Second Team All-American in 2016.
Prior to his time at Midwestern State, Paige served as an offensive graduate assistant coach at Mid-American Conference foe Kent State University during the 2012 season, working with the wide receivers. He helped the Golden Flashes to an overall record of 11-3 and the 2012 MAC East Division Championship. The team's 11 wins and 10-game win streak were both program records. On an individual level, Dri Archer was named a First Team All-American as a kick returner and a Third Team All-American as an all-purpose player. Archer was selected in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Paige also coached the wide receivers at Gannon University in Erie, Pa. in 2011 and was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Haines City (Fla.) High School in 2009.
The former collegiate standout also enjoyed a two-year professional career (2008-09) with the Peoria Pirates of the Arena Football League 2 (AF2), seeing action in 20 games. In his second season, he hauled in 63 passes for 663 yards and nine touchdowns while returning 34 kickoffs for 678 yards and another score. In all, Paige accounted for 1,344 all-purpose yards while making 15 tackles on defense to garnered mention as Peoria's Iron Man of the Year.
He earned an invitation to the Canadian Football League's Calgary Stampeders mini-camp in 2009 and participated in training camp for the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League in 2010.
Paige began his collegiate career at Miami University, playing in seven games as a "true" freshman in 2003. He then transferred to the University of Findlay for three seasons (2005-07). He led the Oilers in receptions and receiving yards all three seasons, totaling 117 catches for 1,461 yards and eight touchdowns.
The Rossford, Ohio native earned Ohio High School Division IV Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior. He also played in the Ohio-Pennsylvania Big 33 All-Star Game and the Ohio North-South All-Star Game.
Paige graduated from Findlay in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in social work and completed his master's degree at Kent State in 2013.
Paige and his wife, Amanda, have one son, Brandon "Zek", who was born in July 2018.
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